Icy Risk
by Vapor123
Summary: Battles have continued in the Clans, even though deals have been made and lives have been destroyed. While being the medicine cat apprentice of FrigidClan, Blizzardpaw also has to watch as her clanmates die off- and as the history of the three Clans is slowly revealed to her.
1. Alliegainces and Prologue

_**FrigidClan**_

**Leader: **Icestar: Large, thick-furred, white tom with bright green eyes, black ears, one of which is torn

**Deputy: **Badgerstreak: Bulky black-and-white she-cat with dark amber eyes, with scars criss-crossed on her body

**Medicine Cat: **Faunaheart: Skinny golden-brown tom with yellow eyes, white legs, tailtip and two white dots above eyes

**Warriors**

Lynxcry: Very tall, bulky, battle-scarred mottled grey tom with amber eyes and pale underfur

Rockleap: Sandy-grey she-cat with olive-green eyes and a white dash on her chest

Duskspring: Black-and-white tuxedo tom with pale green eyes and a torn ear

Goosepelt: Speckled grey-brown she-cat with bright pale blue eyes

Lilacsong: Pale grey-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Boulderclaw: Large dark grey tabby tom with yellow eyes

Snowypath: Lanky white tom with green eyes

Fawndash: Old, lithe tortoiseshell she-cat with dark amber eyes

Branchjump: Dark brown tom with green eyes, black stripes, and scars across his face

Mudslip: Slender brown classical-tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices**

Flypaw: Skinny, long-legged black tom with dark amber eyes (Mentored by Fawndash)

Risingpaw: Brown-and-white tom with green eyes (Mentored by Boulderclaw)

Coonpaw: Long-haired, kind of fluffy brown tabby tom with green eyes. (Mentored by Badgerstreak)

Owlpaw: Long-haired, super fluffy white tom with very pale grey specks and green eyes (Mentored by Goosepelt)

**Elders**

Foggystorm: Small dark grey tabby tom with yellow eyes and a twisted hindleg

Chestnutfire: Light brown-and-white tabby tom with blind blue eyes. Oldest cat in FrigidClan

Littleflower: Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes and a torn ear

**Queens+Kits**

Featherbranch: Light grey she-cat with blue eyes and white underfur. Mother of Duskspring's kits. (Sharpkit: Black tom with green eyes and white legs. Frozenkit: White she-cat with blue eyes and small grey patches. Blizzardkit: Very small grey she-cat with blue eyes, white underfur and darker socks.)

**Mates/Offspring**

Icestar - Badgerstreak

Goosepelt - Boulderclaw (Goosepelt is Branchjump's mother)

Foggystorm (Father of Featherbranch, Boulderclaw and Lilacsong)

Chesnutfire - Littleflower (Chestnutfire is Icestar's father)

Snowypath - Mudslip (Parents of Coonpaw and Owlpaw)

Featherbranch - Duskspring (Parents of Sharppaw, Frozenpaw, and Blizzardpaw)

* * *

_**MumbleClan**_

**Leader: **Flintstar: Thick-furred grey tabby tom with amber eyes and scratches across his body

**Deputy:** Heavyfrost: Large dark brown mackerel-tabby tom with very dark green eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Cherrystripe: Scrawny, dark ginger tabby she-cat with olive-green eyes

**Medicine Cat Apprentice: **Thornpaw: Dusty brown, flat-faced tabby she-cat with pale yellow eyes

**Warriors**

Dunnockwing: Quick brown tabby tom with amber eyes and lighter underbelly

Runningfoot: Black tom with yellow eyes and a v-shaped nick in one ear

Vinestripe: Small, agile golden-brown tabby tom with green eyes

Patchtalon: Wiry grey she-cat with blue eyes, white splashes and white legs

Whaupfeather: Flat-faced greyish-brown she-cat with blue eyes

Nightdapple: Grey-and-black flat-faced tom with yellow eyes

Duckbreeze: Long-haired white she-cat with green eyes and a scar on muzzle

Darkear: Long-limbed, white tom with amber eyes and black ears

Woollyfur: Large thick-furred, dark grey tom with blue eyes and a shredded ear

**Apprentices**

Furzepaw: Golden tabby she-cat with green eyes and curly fur

Heatherpaw: Dark grey she-cat with green eyes

Greypaw: Somewhat big grey tabby tom with amber eyes and white underfur

**Elders**

Whiterock: Deaf white tom with blind blue eyes.

Blueflurry: Blue-grey tom with bi-colored eyes (Left: Amber) (Right: Green)

**Queens+Kits**

Shadepond: Black she-cat with yellow eyes. Mother of Woollyfur's kits (Cloudkit: Small black-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes. Ebonykit: Black she-cat with yellow eyes. Gorgekit: Light grey tom with blue eyes.)

**Mates/Offspring**

Shadepond - Woollyfur (Parents of Cloudkit, Ebonykit and Gorgekit)

Flintstar - Whaupfeather (Parents of Thornpaw and Nightdapple)

Patchtalon - Dunnockwing (Parents of Heatherpaw and Greypaw)

* * *

_**CrescentClan**_

**Leader: **Spiderstar: Small, very dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Deputy: **Fernheart: Tall golden tabby tom with green eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Tangleleaf: Grey tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Warriors**

Rainsplash: Blue-grey-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes

Beeflight: Small tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with green eyes

Darksoar: Muscular black tom with amber eyes and white legs

Argentpelt: Silver classic-tabby tom with blue eyes

Palenose: Light grey-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Spikeleap: Black-and-white tom with yellow eyes with somewhat spiky fur

Timberfall: Tall ticked-tabby grey tom with green eyes

Kinktuft: Pale ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes and somewhat spiky fur

Sandfire: Cream tabby tom with amber eyes

**Apprentices**

Leopardpaw: Spotted golden she-cat with dark green eyes

Flarepaw: Lithe golden tabby tom with dark green eyes

Ferretpaw: Brown-and-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes and black socks

Beechpaw: Small brown tom with blue eyes and a white chest

Seedpaw: Light brown speckled she-cat with amber eyes

**Elders**

Beartalon: Large, muscular black tom with yellow eyes

Yellowear: Golden she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens+Kits**

Windwillow: Pale grey she-cat with blue eyes. Mother of Sandfire's kits (Hazelkit: Cream tom with blue eyes. Stormpaw: Dark grey classic-tabby tom with amber eyes. Sweetkit: Pale cream-and-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes)

**Mates/Offspring**

Beartalon - Yellowear (Parents of Sandfire, Kinktuft and Spikeleap)

Windwillow - Sandfire (Parents of Hazelkit, Stormkit and Sweetkit)

Ferretpaw - Seedpaw - Beechpaw (Siblings)

Flarepaw - Leopardpaw (Siblings)

Kinktuft - Beeflight

Timberfall - Palenose (Parents of Rainsplash)

* * *

**WARRIOR CODE**

**1: Cats may not have any romantic relations with cats from another Clan. Breaking this rule will result in exile of both cats, execution of one, or death to all kits born to the female.**

**2: Medicine Cats may have mates, however, female medicine cats may not have kits. Breaking this rule will result in exile to the offspring.**

**3: Speaking out against a leader is forbidden. Breaking this rule will result in apprentice duties, exile, or execution to the traitor cat or one family member. Depends on the severity of the crime.**

**4: Deputies may not step down from their rank, unless if they are either killed or lost the ability to fight. Breaking this rule will result in exile.**

**5: Kits will be made apprentices at 6 moons old- no matter if they have a disability that limits their abilities or not. When they turn 12 moons (or older), they will receive their warrior ceremony.**

**6: Cats MUST always fight for their Clan. Breaking this rule will result in immeadiate execution.**

**7: Warriors are considered the most important cats in the Clan, thus, they will be given the right to eating on patrols.**

**8: No kits may wander out of camp. Depending on how much trouble they caused, the punishment for them can be either apprentice duties at the lowest, to possible execution at the highest.**

**9: No cats may leave without permission from a higher-ranking cat. Failure in doing this will cause suspicion and possible exile.**

* * *

Faunaheart ambled after Duskspring silently, following him like a small kitten. The golden-yellow tom picked up his pace, white legs trudging through the freezing snow, and from behind him, he could feel sharp winds blowing from behind. A soft grunt emitted from the smaller tom. "Duskspring," He began, shifting his paws uncomfortably while snowflakes fell quickly from the sky in a hurry. "We should go back to the camp, there's going to be another snow storm soon. You wouldn't want to get trapped in the snow."

The black-and-white tom in front of him paused for a second and ceased his walking, his thick fur beginning to rise and Faunaheart then bit his tongue. _So much for being a good brother, forgot about the whole thing._ The tom approached Duskspring and brushed against him, yellow eyes shining with slight worry. "I'm sorry, but we should just get back, sorry for scaring you." said the medicine cat. In return, Duskspring nodded quickly, pale green eyes gleaming softly in the night. Faunaheart shifted his gaze upward to the sky.

There were only a few stars and most of them were concealed by dark clouds. The crescent moon above the toms shone dimly onto the pine woodland's floor. Faunaheart wasn't certain to the reason, but he felt a strange feeling- slight fear, nothing more. His eyes flashed from the sky and back to Duskspring. "CrescentClan cats are going to be out tonight. Damned, crazy cats, we wouldn't want that, Duskspring."

Duskspring chuckled a bit in reply. "'Aye," He mumbled. "They've been stirring up trouble for us, yes. Hopefully, the same for MumbleClan?"

"Perhaps, but you know the two Clans. Allies and all, wish they'd just hunt on their own territory." Faunaheart uttered.

"We have the most territory though, we seem rather greedy. Makes sense, they just want all the land-" Duskspring was almost instantly shushed by the other tom. Faunaheart furrowed his brow somewhat. "Don't remind me of the land we got, please." He grunted, before looking away for a second. The pain of hunger gnawed at his stomach and he then shivered as more snowflakes collided with his bristled pelt.

Faunaheart lifted his tail and signaled his brother to follow with a twitch of the egg-white tip. "Lets get to camp, we won't find any herbs, I apologize for bringing you out here." He turned and with that, started to walk through the deep snow and toward the direction of the camp, with Duskspring trailing behind him.

Wanting to get back and check the herb selection, Faunaheart didn't wait for his brother, although he was sure the tom was close enough to see him through the strong winds and snow. He was sure they were going in the right way anyway, as they kept moving onward.

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**Hope you enjoy this fanfiction. uvu**


	2. Chapter 1

Dew clung to the emerald-green grass like a burr as the sun warmed the often cool woodland. A faint breeze stirred the air and crawled among the forest. The sky had a pale blue pigment, with white, fluffy clouds moving across the sky with a sluggish pace. Pine trees towered over the FrigidClan camp.

Blizzardkit peeked out of the nursery. This day, she was four moons old and very soon she would be five moons. The grey kit gave her white underfur a couple of licks then quietly returned to staring at her two siblings, Sharpkit and Frozenkit. Currently, they were the only kits in the nursery, since a moon ago Owlpaw and Coonpaw became apprentices. Now, days were often boring and less interesting than usual.

The tiny kit looked over her shoulder and into the dark nursery behind her. Her mother, Featherbranch, a pale grey she-cat, reposed in a curled position in the moss nest she was in. Blizzardkit gave another single glance to Featherbranch, almost certain that her mother wouldn't mind if she went out of the burrow. She took a step outside the dwelling and flinched away from the sun's bright rays. **(a/n: hey that rhymed)** She pointed her black nose up, shifting her wide, cobalt-hued eyes to the sky. That was when she felt a force ram into her side.

Blizzardkit emitted a loud squeak, knocked over by her older, larger sister, Frozenkit. The pale grey-and-white she-cat loomed over Blizzardkit and kept her pinned to the grassy terrain. She bunched up her weak hind legs and prepared to kick upward at her sister's belly, only to cease trying to wriggle and fight back when a strange, sharp metallic scent was detected. Frozenkit stepped off Blizzardkit and looked up, ears perked. She whispered softly, "What?" and then crinkled her pinkish nose at the smell.

Out of the corner of her eye, Blizzardkit could see Faunaheart, one of her father's friends, exit the medicine cat den and squint slightly, nose pointed forward. His lips were peeled back, and from the shadows of the den, Duskspring padded out behind the golden-brown cat and set his tail on Faunaheart's shoulder. Blizzardkit stared at the tom's disgruntled look, not bothering to get up until a hiss sounded from within the nursery.

Blizzardkit backed away from the nursery's entrance, bumping into Frozenkit. Featherbranch lumbered outside tired, bright blue eyes shifting from her daughters, to Sharpkit, who was crouched beside a collection of brambles at the side of the apprentice's den, and then to the medicine cat den. Upon looking at the other den, she let out a soft grumble. Blizzardkit couldn't make out most of what she said, but she heard "damn it, Faunaheart" from her mom.

Almost gasping at the she-cat's language, Blizzardkit shot a quick, cold glance at Featherbranch, who just ambled over to the two cats at the medicine cat den. Blizzardkit looked at Frozenkit and squeaked softly. "What's wrong with Featherbranch?" She asked, tone soft. In reply, Frozenkit shrugged. "Badgerstreak says she has sticks up her butt."

Blizzardkit narrowed her eyes, before then returning her attention to the sharp tang that lingered in the air. The grey kitten slunk away, back into the nursery quietly. It wasn't long when she heard a small meow from Duskspring, possibly directed to Sharpkit. "Time to go in, little cub." said her father, as a whine was released by Frozenkit. Blizzardkit saw a single white paw slide into the burrow and then more feet following behind it. She stared with large eyes at Featherbranch, who had a squirming Frozenkit in her jaws.

"Nooo," Frozenkit wailed softly. "Featherbranch, I only got to go outside for a little."

Featherbranch put the kit down in the nest, letting out a quiet hiss. "You're staying inside for now. You can go outside later on." She murmured and then looked over at Sharpkit. The black-and-white tom ambled into the den without a word, huffing at Frozenkit who replied to her mother with, "But why? I wanna watch the warriors."

Featherbranch growled at Frozenkit, then gazed outside the den. "Stay here," She ordered the three, turning from them, passing Sharpkit. The little tom exhaled as he sat down beside his sister, pale green eyes shifted to the dwelling's exit. Blizzardkit curiously stared at Sharpkit, before piping up. "Sharpkit, what were you doing at the apprentices' den?" She questioned, lips curling into a smile.

"Owlpaw wanted me to help with moss stuff."

"Oh, that's cool!" Blizzardkit tweeted softly, then glanced at Frozenkit. The pale grey she-cat was huddled up in the corner of the burrow, wearing a grumpy expression on her visage. Her blue eyes were narrowed, ears pinned to the side of her head as she emitted a tiny growl. "We can play inside here you know." said Sharpkit, raising a brow at his sister when he looked at her.

Blizzardkit nodded happily, a small feeling of joy swelled up inside her. The litter of three could just play around the den, have fun there and talk until their mother returned. With this in mind, Blizzardkit let out a squeal when she felt Frozenkit's forepaws shove into her side. "C'mon then."

* * *

**Sorry if this seems a bit rushed! .w." I honestly did rush it, but I'll do better next time I write. ovo**


	3. Chapter 2

Blizzardkit didn't move a muscle, Featherbranch's tongue swiping the top of her head gently. Deep down, she felt excitement, today she would be turning six months of age. Sharpkit had already been groomed, his black-and-white fur very neat and smooth-looking, his head held high. "Featherbranch, can I go now? I think the Clan is together now." He asked, tone only a mutter in the dwelling.

The light grey she-cat above Blizzardkit paused between licks to reply. "No, dear. We'll wait for your father to come around, and then you can go on ahead." She murmured, then pushed Blizzardkit away, who squeaked somewhat. The tiny kitten bounced over to Sharpkit, smiling brightly. Sharpkit only huffed at her, returning the smile by curling his lips a bit.

Blizzardkit shuffled her forepaws, fur rising. She wondered who her mentor would be. She would have fun, she would be able to learn how to hunt and fight and all. **(a/n but little did she know) **She looked back at her brother, purring warmly. She at least hoped her mentor was Goosepelt, the she-cat came into the nursery a couple of times before to check on the single queen and her litter. She only knew that the grey-brown she-cat was fast, so she assumed Goosepelt was a good hunter. Or maybe Mudslip. Blizzardkit liked Mudslip, so why not?

Blizzardkit listened to the protests of her older sister, as Frozenkit was pulled constantly to be hastily groomed, eyes kept on the outside of the den. Her brother was right, all of the Clan looked like they were all together. She flashed her eyes back to her sister and mother. Frozenkit continued to squirm without end up until she had been a little more than half-cleaned. She was let go by Featherbranch, who let out an annoyed-sounding grumble, ears flattened against her head.

"Frozenkit, get together. All three of you-" Featherbranch was interrupted by a hiss from a cat outside of the den. Blizzardkit snapped her focus from her mother and to an unfamiliar tom, he was grey, with darker dapples on his back, and bulky. He peeked into the den and then gave a quick glance to the kits and then Featherbranch. "Are they ready yet?" He inquired, nose twitching.

A huff sounded from Featherbranch. "Isn't Duskspring supposed to get them or something?"

"Duskspring is currently unable to attend the meeting, he has to go on patrol to the CrescentClan border." The tomcat responded. Blizzardkit nearly froze at this. _Why'd Duskspring have to go on patrol today? _She asked herself.

Featherbranch gave a brief nod, before pushing Frozenkit and then Blizzardkit ahead. "Get going." She ordered and then swiftly walked to the entrance, squirming past the tom. The grey cat grunted softly, then with a twitch of his plume-like tail, beckoned the three kits to follow him. Blizzardkit leapt to her feet, a lump swelling up in her chest.

Blizzardkit padded behind her older siblings and then went outside the den. It was a windy day, a breeze almost staggering her. She saw all the cats, gathering beneath the branch of an old, hollowed out tree. On the limb, sat a lean, fluffy white tom named Icestar, tail hanging off the branch. Right beneath him stood Badgerstreak, the Clan's deputy.

Hurrying closer to Sharpkit at the stares given to her and the two other kittens, Blizzardkit coughed quietly. There was a sense of uncomfort given to her while being looked at, with an unexplainable reason as to why. Before sitting down beside Frozenkit, she gave a few quick glances to search the small crowd for Duskspring, yet his black-and-white pelt wasn't in sight and her heart somewhat sank.

Icestar let out a loud, sharp hiss from the tree limb, settling down any remaining chatter. Blizzardkit looked around the camp. She knew barely any of these cats, only Goosepelt, who sat between Mudslip and an unknown brown tabby, she also only knew about the apprentices, who were all gathered together, except for Risingpaw. The brown-and-white tabby was settled beside who appeared to be his mentor, a large grey tom. She looked back up to Icestar, who had already began to speak.

"Three kits today have reached six moons of age- Sharpkit, Blizzardkit and Frozenkit," He said in a slight gravelly voice and before continuing he cleared his throat, yet that didn't change the way his vocalization sounded. He stared at the kittens. "You three have reached the age of an apprentice and it is time for you to be assigned a mentor."

Icestar looked among his warriors, before locking eyes with one. Blizzardkit couldn't see who is was, but she took notice that he was looking at a cat with grey ears, one having a tear in them, right in front of Risingpaw's mentor. The white cat gave a slight nod, flattening his ears and then proceeding. "Sharpkit, you will be mentored by Lynxcry, and you will now be named Sharppaw." He announced.

Blizzardkit looked at Sharppaw uneasily. He had a confused look on his face, squinting, up until they both saw the bulky, dappled appearance of a grey tom, the one that took the kits to the meeting._ This is Lynxcry? _She asked herself, taken back by the large cat, who rounded Sharppaw up and pretty much dragged him away from his sisters.

"Blizzardkit," She turned to her name being called, feeling a sudden burst of joy and energy. Her blue eyes grew wider and she grinned a little. "You will now be named Blizzardpaw. Your mentor will be Faunaheart." That's when she paused and felt yet again, a sinking feeling. Wasn't Faunaheart a medicine cat? Was this a mistake?

Her brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't object- yet, anyway.

"Frozenkit, you will now be called Frozenpaw," said Icestar. "And I am assigning Mudslip to be your mentor." Blizzardpaw glanced at Frozenpaw, who slowly stood up and then padded quickly over to Mudslip, before touching noses with the older she-cat quietly and then sitting down.

Blizzardpaw turned her attention to looking for her mentor. Where was Faunaheart anyway? Was he too lazy to walk over? Featherbranch usually did criticize the tom when they conversed. Maybe her mother was right about him.

Blizzardpaw kept looking around, before feeling a paw prod her shoulder and turning, she saw the golden tom right there, right behind her. Faunaheart's yellow eyes were kept locked on the much smaller cat, and Blizzardpaw didn't notice that the Clan meeting was dismissed.


	4. Chapter 3

**I still haven't worked on 'His Kithood'. B)**

* * *

_Why did I get stuck with him? Why am I not a warrior?_

Blizzardpaw stared up at the tall, scrawny golden tom, Faunaheart. The tomcat blinked at her before finally speaking. "Did I scare you, perhaps? I apologize if that is the case," He uttered. "I'm also sorry for making you my apprentice, if that is what you're thinking."

Blizzardpaw gave a curt nod to Faunaheart, before glancing to the side at the apprentices' den. Sharppaw and Lynxcry were both at the burrow, possibly looking for a nest for her brother. They chatted away with each other, while Mudslip and Frozenpaw were talking as well, Frozenpaw most likely pestering the slender brown tabby, sitting near the exit of the camp, where Goosepelt sat on guard duty. Blizzardpaw then looked back at Faunaheart, who let out a soft grunt. "Should we begin now?"

Blizzardpaw slowly nodded, but in the back of her mind, she asked herself if she would be learning anything useful, anything that required speed or strength. The only medicine cat she knew was Faunaheart, and he wasn't active in her eyes, so she supposed she would just be a lazy cat like him and instead of a warrior. She grumbled to herself as Faunaheart flicked his white tailtip, signaling the she-cat to follow him. Walking quickly, the two approached another burrow, to the close left of Icestar's den, and right of the warriors' den, another hollowed out tree, taller than the leader's.

Faunaheart slid into the medicine cat den, Blizzardpaw following, trying to avoid getting hurt by the brambles and thorns covering the hole. She then slipped on the way down and with a yelp, tripped over her own paws and crashed to the ground, chin slamming on the dirt floor. At this, she heard Faunaheart chuckle quietly. "Are you doing okay, kit?" He questioned, and Blizzardpaw bit her tongue at the name. "Can we get this training over with?" She asked in a murmur.

Faunaheart nodded before sitting down in front of her. "Yes, Blizzardpaw," He answered, tail wrapping around his white legs. "We will be learning the warrior code before anything else, be sure to keep up. Don't ask too many questions at once, don't talk to Icestar about changing them." He instructed, taking a breath and then continuing.

"There are currently ten rules to the code, and I will also be informing you of the punishment given when one breaks the law." Faunaheart went on, while Blizzardpaw nodded to every word he said, listening closely.

"The first three," He explained. "Have to do mostly with obediance and loyalty, which you require to even get ahead in life with FrigidClan. The first, talks about forbidden relationships, mates in the other two Clans is not allowed, we may, however, speak with each other at Gatherings and when the medicine cats before such. The consequences for breaking this part of the code will either lead to exile or even death to cats who were with enemies. Kits produced will have their fate decided by the leader of the Clan." Faunaheart finished, taking another breath after all the speaking he had down. Blizzardpaw paused at the explanation.

It seemed strict, very strict. Blizzardpaw resisted the urge to whimper and ask why this happened, argue against it. Faunaheart cleared his throat. "Nothing to say about it?" He asked, then shrugged. She stared at him, shook her head and then told him to keep talking. One question lingered in her mind though. Was killing a crime? She waited, figuring it wasn't due to the punishments. Her question might be answered later on.

"The second rule, that arguing with a leader is not encouraged, doesn't have the same chatisement as the other laws. Depending on how severely this law has been broken, the more harsh the consenquences. Your mother broke the rule once and I believe your own sister will do the same, as I have observed her behavior. Kithood and apprentice life may often determine how a cat will act, but that is beside the point." Faunaheart muttered something to himself.

"You will do whatever Icestar and other higher-ranking cats tell you to do, got it?" asked Faunaheart and not waiting for an agreement, kept one with his explanation. "Punishments for this can go from apprentice duties to exile to just execution, if the situation was too difficult to go against." He then stopped talking and stared at Blizzardpaw, as if expecting her to say something this time around. Her curiosity got the best of her now.

"Is killing another cat against the rules?" Blizzardpaw inquired, probing onward with the question and hoping the golden tom with reply. Faunaheart paused for a second then shook his head. "You may not kill cats of your own Clan, unless if ordered to by Icestar," He replied. "Killing cats in other Clans, however, is encouraged."

Blizzardpaw bit her tongue, eyes sharpening while Faunaheart lifted his head, looking away from the bewildered expression on her face. The tom appeared to be waiting for something and Blizzardpaw rambled to herself while he did nothing. Rising to her feet, she found this may be the best time to get out of training.

Before Blizzardpaw could even take a step, a loud growl emitted from the burrow and stopped her in her tracks. Through the brambles covering masking the den's opening, she could see the lanky, grayish-brown, speckled figure of Goosepelt. The she-cat poked her head in through the thorns, hissing softly as one snagged her fur. "Faunaheart," She called to him. "The dawn patrol got into a quarrel with CrescentClan."

"Who all was in the patrol?" Faunaheart inquired, focused now on Goosepelt instead of staring into space. Blizzardpaw grumbled at the tom backing away and aborting her plan to get away from the tom. Goosepelt glanced at her for a moment and then back at Faunaheart. "The cat leading was Branchjump, the others were Flypaw, Fawndash and Duskspring."

"Has Featherbranch talked to Duskspring about the fact that their kits' ceremony was recent?"

"I'm sure she has, now, come on, check for their injuries. Poor Flypaw looks like he's in bad shape, Fawndash is complaining like the elder she should be and Branchjump looks like he wrangled with a dog." Goosepelt backed out of the den and Faunaheart soon followed, leaving Blizzardpaw alone in the medicine cat den. Now she had nothing to do. _Great._


	5. Chapter 4

**This chapter is pretty short. Hope you guys like it anyway. ovo**

**most of it is just faunaheart saying things, so**

* * *

Blizzardpaw stared longingly toward the apprentices' den. It was only a day after the ceremony and she was bored out of her mind, sleeping in the medicine cat den in a nest that was old, worn like it hadn't had new bedding in moons. The scent of blood was faint, as some cats from the patrol yesterday had been injured. Faunaheart only rambled on to himself, before calling out. "Blizzardpaw, could you please come over here? We should learn about a few herbs, today, if you don't mind."

Blizzardpaw quietly huffed to herself, then looked at Faunaheart over his shoulder. The sour tang of herbs was thick here and gave her a small headache. "Sure thing." She finally replied and forced herself away from the bramble-covered opening in the den and trotted to Faunaheart, sitting down with a huff and gazing calmly at the golden tom, who smiled, although his expression looked somewhat tense, along with his slight purring.

Faunaheart lightly tapped his tailtip on the ground, as if waiting for something else like the day before, yellow eyes showing uncertainty, which Blizzardpaw could tell he was trying to push away. "Ah, yes, herbs, uh," The tom lightly coughed, then turned his head to the collection of herbs kept in holes within the den's walls, close to the entrance. He pulled a twig from others in the storage. On closer inspection, Blizzardpaw could see long, thin strands wrapped around it.

"These are cobwebs, obviously," Faunaheart uttered softly, eyes on the twig. "They are very common in the forest, and for something that's everywhere, it is very useful. It soaks up and slows down bleeding and can even bind broken bones. They can be used with other plants, though, like marigold." He murmured, before pushing them aside and then rummaging around in the herb supply while Blizzardpaw took a mental note of what she was learning, curiosity slowly crawling its way into her visage, face brightening.

Faunaheart pulled away a bright yellow flower from the storage. "Marigold, it is usually found near the stream to the south, bordering both MumbleClan and CrescentClan. It can be either yellow or a bright orange, and is used for stopping bleeding and infection in wounds." He rambled on, while Blizzardpaw's tail curled around her forepaws. With that, he then pushed the marigold aside and stared at the selection once again, eyes growing dull while he scanned for more herbs to show.

Dragging purple-blue berries out of the storage, he set the berries in front of him on the ground. Blizzardpaw stared down at the herb, while Faunaheart once again, made a quick explanation of the berries. "Juniper berries," He began, voice growing somewhat quieter. "It grows in places that aren't wet, from a dark green juniper bush, which has spiky leaves. Juniper berries are to be chewed and eaten, and they soothe bellyaches, and helps cats who have trouble breathing." He said, then glanced away after moving them away with the twig wrapped in cobwebs and the single marigold plant.

Faunaheart quietly exhaled and looked over the herb storage, growing silent afterward. Blizzardpaw's blue eyes were fixed on the golden tom, as he looked over the supplies without a word. She gradually grew more interested. Now that she thought more of it, he didn't appear to be the cat Featherbranch gossiped about with Mudslip when the two queens were in the nursery together. She still only first met him, so maybe, the rumors weren't true.


	6. Chapter 5

"Tansy is a herb that cures coughs, helps to keep cats froming getting a deadly sickness called greencough and also soothes throats."

Blizzardpaw intently listened in on Faunaheart's explanation. She already learned a couple of herbs: Marigold, juniper berries, goldenrod, poppy seeds and now tansy. Yet, she never got a chance to leave the camp- something that she had been wanting to do since she was young. She recalled with amusement when Frozenpaw suggested that the litter sneak out with Owlpaw and Coonpaw when they were younger. A soft purr rumbled from her throat and she smiled faintly, falling into memories of kithood, no longer paying attention to Faunaheart's voice.

"Blizzardpaw," Faunaheart's hissed dragged her back and her eyes widened slightly, cheeks growing warm. "Do you have any questions?" She let out an inner sigh of relief that the tomcat did not realize that she wasn't focusing on the lesson like she should, or at least she thought he didn't know. Quietly, she shook her head before opening her mouth. "Not about the herbs, but I have one, Faunaheart." She said, ears perked.

Faunaheart nodded and waited for Blizzardpaw to go on. With a quick inhale, she began. "When will we leave the camp? Frozenpaw and Sharppaw already been out." She muttered, a questioning look on her face. Her response? Faunaheart simply shrugged his shoulders. "I could take you out of the camp tomorrow, but I don't think it is really a safe decision." He told her.

Blizzardpaw huffed at this. He didn't think it was a safe decision? "Going outside the camp is bad?" She asked further, a sinking feeling in her chest. Maybe she wouldn't get to leave until next moon or more...

Still confused, Blizzardpaw waited for more, but Faunaheart only nodded again, without a word. Her eyes flittered to the den's exit. "Can I at least go outside the den?" She asked again and Faunaheart grunted. "No need to ask, Blizzardpaw. Just go outside the den, not out of the camp. That will be for another day," He answered and then began putting the tansy plant he had out away in the herb storage. "You can go out now if you'd like, I'm sure your friend, the white tom, just returned from a patrol."

A bit of joy burned inside Blizzardpaw like a small fire and the little she-cat nodded, jumping to her toes. She took off from her place at Faunaheart's side and left him alone to scan through the selection of herbs. She slowly squeezed through the thorns and ferns and was met with amber waves of light beaming down on the camp. The sunset's glow shone on the dark green pines surrounding the FrigidClan camp and the temperature was pleasant, if not somewhat hot.

Blizzardpaw stumbled outside, shielding her eyes from the bright light until they adjusted. She surveyed the camp until she located the forest grotto that belonged to the apprentices, beside the elders' den, which was an old, tall, moss-covered tree to the left, close to Icestar's den. She stood in place for a while, searching for Coonpaw or Owlpaw excitedly, not paying attention to the fact that she was blocking the medicine cat den's entrance. She then felt herself get shoved gently aside, as Faunaheart slowly emerged from the dwelling and lost focus of what she was looking for, until a second later. _Oh, right, Owlpaw and Coonpaw._

Blizzardpaw bounced over to the apprentices' den swiftly, flicking her white tailtip to Faunaheart, who didn't seem to pay attention. She focused on heading on and talking to the other apprentices. She approached the grotto slowly and stepped into the narrow passage there, brushing past emerald-green leaves on her way. She padded into the small clearing soon enough. Light filtered down from the canopy onto the den's bracken-covered floor. In the corner of the den, she spotted a familiar grey-and-white she-cat laying in a bedding of freshly-changed moss. She went over to Frozenpaw, who was sleeping.

Staring at her older sister, Blizzardpaw wondered where the other apprentices were currently, up until she heard a soft voice from behind. Her blue eyes flashed and she spun around to find Flypaw. The long-limmed black tom calmly spoke to her. "Are you alright? Are you needing something?" He asked, glancing to Frozenpaw and back to Blizzardpaw. She nodded and began to speak. "Where are the other apprentices?" She asked.

Flypaw mumbled to himself before responding. "Sharppaw isn't here, he's with Risingpaw, Boulderclaw and Lynxcry is some training get-together," He answered. "Frozenpaw's just sleeping, Coonpaw and Owlpaw are at the elders' den to clean out the moss... And then there's just me, changing the nests. You can help, if you'd like." In reply, Blizzardpaw shook her head. "I could help some other time, I was just looking for some other apprentices." She purred lightly, smiling as she very slowly backed out of the den.

Blizzardpaw came back out into the camp and switched her attention to the elders' den. Approaching the large tree, she peeked into the hole and spotted Owlpaw and Coonpaw almost right away. Coonpaw was settled beside Chestnutfire, the oldest cat in FrigidClan, dabbing the back of the brown-and-white tom's neck. Owlpaw sat close to Littleflower and Foggystorm, who lifted his head upon seeing Blizzardpaw.

"Oh, it's you, Blizzardpaw, hello." Foggystorm said, wheezing slightly and then clearing his throat with a cough. With a purr, Blizzardpaw approached her grandfather and sat down in between him and Owlpaw, who was currently trying to fix Littleflower's nest and put in new bedding, carefully lining the moss with robin feathers. The white tom let out a small meow in greeting to Blizzardpaw and then went back to tending to the tortoiseshell elder and her nest.

The small dark grey tom, Foggystorm, gave Blizzardpaw a quick nod and then laid his head down with a huff, staring at the dead, half-eaten lizard in front of him tiredly. "Would you like the rest, Chestnutfire?" He asked. Chestnutfire took a while to reply, then flashed his clouded blue eyes to the tom. "I'm not hungry." He mumbled and then let out a small hiss at Coonpaw as the brown tabby clumsily pressed down on the cat's neck.

Blizzardpaw quietly flicked her white tailtip to Coonpaw, grinning widely. He turned to the tiny she-cat and rumbled softly. "Hi!" He exclaimed, a smile curling his charcoal-hued lips. He paused at another hiss from Chestnutfire and his face switched quickly to a more neutral expression and he returned to his work.

Blizzardpaw turned to Owlpaw's voice. "So, you're Faunaheart's mentor? I thought Featherbranch would'a argued against it." He muttered, finishing Littleflower's bedding and then rising to his feet. Blizzardpaw nodded. "Yeah, but he's not all that bad, really," She mewed. "And, yeah, I thought my mother would have tried to speak up." She shrugged and then sauntered over to the white tom and sat beside him.

Owlpaw chuckled somewhat. "I didn't even think you'd want to be a medicine cat. What changed your mind?" He inquired.

"I still kind of want to be a warrior, but, uh, I was made Faunaheart's apprentice. I dunno why." Blizzardpaw answered.

Owlpaw gave a brief nod. "I could teach you how to fight o hunt sometime if you want to-" He was cut off by Coonpaw's chipper tone speaking up from behind. "I could too!" He purred loudly, then quickly went back to removing ticks from Chestnutfire's neck. Blizzardpaw cringed at the foul scent of mouse bile on the brown tabby's paws but didn't say anything to Coonpaw.

Blizzardpaw looked back at Owlpaw. "So you two can teach me how to fight?"

Owlpaw smiled and dipped his head. "Yeah, that's what clanmates are for, right?"

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**21 chapters left.**


	7. Chapter 6

**guys i need to work on 'his kithood' but i'm too lazy :(**

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Blizzardpaw crouched down, hackles raising. She looked up at Owlpaw, who stood on the root of a tree, olive-green eyes twinkling. The white tom stared down at the tiny she-cat, his long, plume-like tail lashing. He gave a small smile. "You're doing okay," He assured her, noticing that she appeared to be uncomfortable. "But, maybe, uh, you'll do better as a medicine cat." He then added quickly. Blizzardpaw lifted herself to her paws and flicked her dark-rimmed ears at him. Was he saying that he didn't want to teach her how to fight? She opened her mouth. "Can we continue?"

Owlpaw nodded and dropped into a crouch. "Yes, now, uh, charge at me or something." He instructed, his voice revealing that he really had no idea what he was even doing. Despite this, Blizzardpaw simply ran at the white tom, paws sheathed. Upon reaching within a tail-length of where Owlpaw stood, she leapt at him.

Letting out a yelp, Blizzardpaw felt Owlpaw rear upward and grab her by the shoulders, almost instantly knocking the smaller cat over. She felt a slight pain in her shoulder from falling over and colliding with the ground. With a slight hiss, she wanted to fight back but Owlpaw already had her pinned down. He let go of her and took some steps back, murmuring softly. Blizzardpaw strained to hear what he said but failed to. "What?"

"I said you should be with Faunaheart and learning about herbs," Owlpaw replied. "It doesn't feel right to teach a medicine cat how to fight. Besides, you're... weak, to be honest, now." This offended Blizzardpaw, yet she tried to swallow it down. Weak? _Says the one who lost to Sharpkit. _She remembered that day well, when Sharppaw, as a kit, managed to pin Owlpaw down who was five moons old at the time, three months older than the other kitten.

Blizzardpaw huffed at Owlpaw, who continued to talk. "Don't you have training with Faunaheart to do anyway?" He questioned quietly, voice turning into a murmur. She grumbled to herself. "You said you would teach me how to fight." She reminded the tom, gritting her teeth. Owlpaw just shrugged. "I said it didn't feel right, just, go hang out with your mentor or something. I have to go training with Badgerstreak anyway." He told her, taking a step back and then beginning to quickly pad off. Blizzardpaw narrowed her eyes as he left her at the base of the tree and sat down.

Letting out a quiet, frustrated mewl, Blizzardpaw got up again and padded to the medicine cat den, swiftly crawling into the burrow, hissing to herself as thorns scratches her sides and brambles clung to her fur. She tripped as she entered, landing on her face with a squeak. She staggered to her feet and shook her short fur free of dirt and then sneezing. Her eyes lifted to the sight of Faunaheart, standing right there at the herb storage, shredding a few brownish leaves. Her heart sank. What was he doing? Running to the tom, she watched what he was doing for a while before opening her mouth- only to get interrupted. "I am removing old thyme plants from the den. They're rotted away and I need to go out and collect more." Faunaheart told her.

Blizzardpaw's ears pricked and she nodded curtly before plopping down beside Faunaheart and continuing to observe. If this was what Owlpaw wanted, then it was what she would do, not talk to him or anything else. _He didn't even bother to apologize,_ She thought to herself. _He could have at least done that._ She laid her head down, ignoring the fact that Faunaheart's tail was laying on her back.

Blizzardpaw watched Faunaheart shred the thyme for a while longer. "What does that even do anyway?" She asked him. Faunaheart turned to her and his brow rose slightly. "Excuse me?"

"The plant, the, uh, thyme. What does it do?"

Faunaheart's ear flicked and he then went back to his work of sorting the herbs. "Thyme is a plant, small, delicate with sticky leaves and a fresh scent to them. They are used to calm nervousness, anxiety or shock in cats. They are to be eaten." He informed her, shredding the last of the herb, laying the strips on the ground between he and Blizzardpaw. She wrinkled her black nose at the scent. Still had the sour scent of every herb she knew about.

Faunaheart stared at her. "I talked with your mother today, Blizzardpaw." He said, cringing as he mentioned Featherbranch. "She will be going to fight against CrescentClan later and she wants to talk to you sometime later. I assume that you'd want to see her anyway." He added. Blizzardpaw nodded. The golden tom coughed slightly.

"But, for now, maybe you should go to sleep, it will be night in a couple of minutes or so and I would like it if we were both refreshed for tomorrow's training." Faunaheart went on, nodding to himself as he meowed, flicking his tail and then dragging it along the den's floor. Blizzardpaw got to her feet and padded away there. Good job walking away from a conversation, Blizzy.

Blizzardpaw quickly approached a certain section of the medicine cat den. The burrow had a couple of tunnels, one of which led to a small den-like area with a moss nest and everything. Like Faunaheart's nest, it was old and worn out, not at all comfortable but she would grow used to it in time. Sliding into the nest, she squeaked as a thorn raked her shoulder, but tried to ignore the pain in her forepaw, settling down and tucking her legs beneath her. She lowered her head, ears pinned against the sides of her head as she closed her eyes and sunk into darkness.

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**Okay, but, fun fact here.**

**Blizzardpaw had this weird mega-crush on Owlpaw when they were kittens. But yeah it faded away so. Ships?**


	8. Chapter 7

Blizzardpaw awoke to a paw prodding her in the side, lifting her head instantly, mind feeling fuzzy and sight blurred as she raised her head too quickly and opened her eyes to look at Faunaheart, who opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice somewhere within the den. Although, it wasn't in Blizzardpaw's section.

"Is she awake yet, Faunaheart?" Featherbranch asked loudly, a small growl hinting in her voice. Blizzardpaw was now fully awake at Faunaheart's rising tone.

"Yes, yes, she is _awake_, Featherbranch." snapped Faunaheart, fur bristling. He appeared to be annoyed with the speaking warrior, tail wrapping around his forelegs. Blizzardpaw groggily shifted her eyes to the movement of another cat, trotting up the small passageway and into the burrow attached to the main area of the den. Now in a tight space, Blizzardpaw squirmed uncomfortably as Featherbranch swiftly walked toward her and sat beside her.

Blizzardpaw felt a harsh poke in her side, which caused her to jump to her feet. "I'm up." She groaned, nearly falling over. She leaned on Featherbranch's side, who began to groom the top of her head. Faunaheart watched the two female cats, frowning at Featherbranch.

"Take her and go, Featherbranch." Faunaheart hissed, scooting away from the two and huddling up against a wall.

"Mhm." Featherbranch huffed, grabbing Blizzardpaw by the scruff, causing the apprentice to freeze up. She allowed her mother to drag her out of the burrow where Faunaheart stayed at. Soon, she was met with a pinkish light shining on her face. The sky was pale, with streaks of light blue and bits of orange, yet the sun was no where to be seen, hidden behind the tall fir trees looming over the clearing.

Blizzardpaw was dropped, and fell to the ground with a soft "oof". Her blue eyes flashed to Featherbranch and she rose to her paws, giving her pelt quick licks. She gazed up at the warrior quietly, before turning her head to the sound of a cat calling over. "Featherbranch!"

Icestar stood by the entrance of the camp, two warriors- Lynxcry and Snowypath settled beside him. Another cat, an old, tortoiseshell she-cat with a graying muzzle approached the cats and sat down, then gave herself a swift, hasty grooming to her patched fur. Featherbranch waited a while to reply, exchanging glances with Blizzardpaw. "Yes, Icestar?"

"The patrol is about to leave- don't bother with the apprentice and come on, you have responsibilites." hissed Icestar, lashing his tail. Flypaw and Risingpaw both neared the group. Featherbranch flicked an ear, huffing in annoyance. The cat opened her mouth to protest, yet just left Blizzardpaw hanging. What a jerk.

Blizzardpaw watched her mother go on, a sinking feeling in her chest. Couldn't Icestar wait a bit? She narrowed her eyes and looked around, heat burning under her fur. She kept quiet now and watched as Featherbranch joined the patrol and allowed the much older tortoiseshell to lean on her side. This made Blizzardpaw's fur prickle. The warrior looked too old to even keep up with the battle, yet she was going anyway. Without a word, she eavesdropped on the conversation from afar.

"Fawndash, are you positive that you will be able to fight correctly? I don't want you to get hurt." Featherbranch meowed, eyeing the tortoiseshell and then took a glimpse of Snowypath, who replied for the elderly cat, since she kept silent

"She'll be okay, Featherbranch, she's mentored a good amount of cats, battled more than Icestar and is one of our actually good warriors-"

Icestar growled at him. "FrigidClan has all the 'actually good' warriors, and is far stronger than any other Clan in the forest, Snowypath." The white tom growled at the other, lashing his tail before then beginning to lumber off without another word, beckoning the cats to follow him.

Blizzardpaw grunted, raising her head and looking around for something to do, when a meow from Faunaheart reached her ears from behind.

"Blizzardpaw," The tom called to her, approaching his apprentice and sitting beside her. "Are you finished talking to your mother?" Faunaheart inquired and Blizzardpaw responded with a nod. "Yeah, I'm done talking with her, uh... Faunaheart can we go train now?" She asked, muttering.

Faunaheart nodded, brushing against the younger cat gently and then bounding back into the medicine cat den with Blizzardpaw following close behind. Once through the thorn-covered opening, she nearly tripped over her feet as she slid downward through the little tunnel, meeting with Faunaheart at the side of the exit, and then sauntering after him as he padded to the medicine supply.

"I'll be testing a bit of your knowledge on the herbs and see if you remember, soon you will be out of the camp for a few minutes or hours each few days, and you will also get around to beginning to care for other cats." Faunaheart announced softly, peeking into the shelves dug into the walls of the den. He then pulled out a few herbs, seeds and berries and laid them out in front of Blizzardpaw. She stared at them.

Blizzardpaw knew only two of them- marigold and poppy seeds- although they all did have familiar appearances to her. She listened as Faunaheart began to talk to her, still gazing at the herbs. "Marigold comes in what colors and how is it used?" He inquired.

"It's yellow," Blizzardpaw answered. "It's also used to help bleeding."

"Half-correct, Blizzardpaw," Faunaheart told her, tone quickly sharpening- although not by much. "It can be yellow to bright orange and grows in low areas. The juice can be used, it can be chewed into a poultice. While it does soak up blood and help to stop bleeding, it also stops infection and inflammation of stiff joints." He explained quickly, although Blizzardpaw struggled to listen, as he did not speak in his normal pace of tone. Yet, it did manage to register in her mind and she took mental notes.

Faunaheart pulled the marigold aside and put it back in the storage, while speaking. "Which herb calms cats who have shock or anxiety?" He asked.

Blizzardpaw carefully rummaged through her own memories, and since she learned of thyme yesterday, she meowed louder. "Thyme does," She told him, and then added, "It's small and delicate with a _fresh_ smell."

"Correct... Blizzardpaw, what do juniper berries look like and where are they found?" Faunaheart asked, plopping down lazily, tone growing monotone. This slightly bothered Blizzardpaw, yet she didn't pay much mind to it.

"Juniper berries are blue, or blueish-purple. They also have spiky leaves. They grow in places that aren't wet, and from juniper bushes, which are a dark green."

"They are just a purple-blue, but yet, Blizzardpaw, that's right," Faunaheart told her, then lifted his head, suddenly saying, "We may continue tonight, when the battle patrol returns- I hope you don't mind. If you want work to do, you may go to the elders' den. I'm sure the older cats will need ticks picked off." He grumbled, getting to his toes and looking around in the holes in the wall, then dragged out a small leaf and a twig.

Blizzardpaw scrunched up her nose at the foul scent emitted from the leaf and backed away. This appeared to amuse Faunaheart, as he gave a very slight smile. "Take the leaf and the twig. I'll take you to clean your paws later on- don't swallow it, it can leave a horrible taste in your mouth for days, then you'll have to eat rosemary or honey."

Blizzardpaw quietly nodded, dipped her head to Faunaheart and inched toward the leaf and stick. She cautiously grabbed the items and flicked her tail at her mentor to signal a goodbye. She then silently backed up, turned, and hurried to the outside of the den and into the camp.

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**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. ovo**


	9. Chapter 8

Blizzardpaw dabbed a wet paw onto Foggystorm's shoulder as the elder chewed on the stringy meat of a dead mouse. She had already taken care of Chestnutfire, and Littleflower was cared for by Frozenpaw, who grumbled to herself. Blizzardpaw didn't hear what her sibling was saying- yet assumed that most of it was gibberish anyway. She listened to Chestnutfire as he told stories.

He was pretty loud for an elder.

"Icestar was born to Cloversong and I, along with his brothers, Fernfoot and Driftkit," The tom spoke, head laying down, as Littleflower tried to groom his patchy fur. "Cloversong was a beautiful white she-cat, with long fur, that was very soft and always groomed correctly, and light amber eyes," He paid more attention to the descriptions of each cat, rather than the story he was supposed to be telling. "Fernfoot was a lean brown-and-white tabby with amber eyes, and also the father of Risingpaw and Flypaw, and Driftkit was a pale brown spotted tabby..."

Chestnutfire hacked loudly, pausing his rambling to do so. Blizzardpaw uneasily flashed a small glance toward the old tom. The cat's blind, blue gaze was shifted downward, and he wheezed slightly. Faunaheart would have to tend to the tomcat later. Maybe give him some juniper berries.

"And," He whispered, giving another soft cough, shivering as a sharp, freezing wind suddenly burst into the den. "Uh, Driftkit died at an early age from greencough, Cloversong was also killed by the same sickness a bit after Icestar and Fernfoot both became warriors. Fernfoot was killed by another cat in the battle three years ago, two years before that, Icestar became deputy and then leader- also, um, Icestar's name back then was- uh." He trailed off and looked over at Littleflower, as if wondering if she remembered.

"Icetalon," The tortoiseshell purred, and without letting Chestnutfire have a chance to go on, she continued. "He was, and still is, a very powerful and determined cat. I remember him being trained well by my sister, Fawndash. Then, Foggystorm became his first deputy, but after the battle, he was replaced by Badgerstreak, since he suffered a horrible leg injury and had to be moved to the elders' den. He also done quite a bit in his life, father of Lilacsong, Boulderclaw and Featherbranch... He also mentored Goosepelt."

"Foggystorm, what were your views on Badgerstreak becoming deputy, anyway?" Chestnutfire butt in. Blizzardpaw huffed inwardly at all the chatter and quietly waited for Foggystorm to give a response.

"Eh, I'm not jealous of the she-cat or anything, but... Admittedly, yes, she is a very good warrior and also very kind, but I always believed Lynxcry would make a better deputy." Foggystorm answered quickly, keeping his words short compared to those of the other elders.

"What makes Lynxcry so special? He just tries to catch Rockleap's attention, of course though, like the oblivious little fleabag that she is, she never notices him." Chestnutfire grumbled.

"Well, to me, Lynxcry is very hardworking, and believe it or not, he doesn't always chase Rockleap," Foggystorm exhaled, voice quickening. "He's a good hunter, fighter and led many patrols. I also think Icestar's choice was more love for the cat, rather than her abilities, and she doesn't have any knowledge on training apprentices, while Lynxcry trained Foxcloud, Sharppaw and, although temporarily, Flypaw." He finished, then turned his head to Blizzardpaw, who forced a tick off the cat's thick, grey pelt.

"How's Faunaheart treating you?" Foggystorm rasped, ignoring Chestnutfire huffed quickly and said something else that was directed to Littleflower.

Blizzardpaw purred, and then dipped her head to the dark grey tabby tomcat. "He treats me alright. I almost didn't expect him to be so smart and cool."

Foggystorm blinked, lip curling. "I see," He gave a rather curt nod and then shifted uncomfortably. "Do you know why you were made his apprentice yet?" He inquired.

Blizzardpaw just shrugged, then watched as the elder grunted and turned to finish the rodent he was eating. She parted the fur on the back of his neck, spotting a small flea wriggling around like an idiot. She then quickly backed away and glanced uneasily from Frozenpaw and then back to Foggystorm. She slowly dabbed it with mouse bile, hoping it would work, but then lost sight of the tiny bug.

The little she-cat let out a quiet hiss and then stepped away again, hoping it didn't crawl onto her. Just the thought of a flea hopping in her fur made Blizzardpaw's side itch and she then slowly unsheathed her claws, before looking at Frozenpaw again. The pale grey-and-white cat looked at her sister, crinkling up her nose.

"What?" Frozenpaw hissed. The other apprentice then silently huffed at whatever Chestnutfire and Littleflower were murmuring to each other, before prodding Littleflower's fur. She then lifted her paw and gave it a small lick, only to produce a disgusted look and a 'yuck'-sounding noise, sticking her tongue out.

Amusement flashed in Blizzardpaw and she chuckled, before turning her head away from her sister.

"Does anyone else need something?" Frozenpaw questioned, tongue sticking halfway out of her mouth. Chestnutfire shook his head, although Foggystorm spoke up.

"Would you mind getting me some more freshkill, Frozenpaw?"

"Sure, what would you like?" Frozenpaw asked again, getting to her feet, and nearing the exit of the hollowed out tree.

"You could get me a squirrel," Foggystorm responded, then glanced at Littleflower. "Also, get Littleflower a mouse or something, she hasn't eaten anything yet."

Frozenpaw just dipped her head, her bright blue gaze then drifting to Blizzardpaw. "And you, do you need something?" Blizzardpaw shook her head in response, and the grey-and-white cat exhaled quietly before heading out slowly.

Watching her sister leave, Blizzardpaw flopped down beside Foggystorm and quietly rambled to herself. She closed her eyes and reposed a little, before hearing a small hiss, emitted from Chestnutfire and directed to Foggystorm.

"You'd best watch yourself, Foggystorm," Chestnutfire growled. Blizzardpaw opened her eyes and lifted her head, looking over her shoulder at the dark brown tabby. "If Icestar heard you talking like that, he'd might have gotten angry with-" He paused, cerulean-hued eyes showing a great amount of uneasiness as he sniffed at the air. "You..." He then finished in a hushed voice, getting to his long legs and pointing his berry-pink nose to the outside of the den, hackles rising.

Foggystorm didn't respond, and appeared to be more uncomfortable with Chestnutfire's stance and abrupt nervousness. "Are you okay?" He whispered, lifting his scrawny body and moving away from Blizzardpaw and to the brown-and-white tomcat.

Blizzardpaw felt a flash of concern. _Should I get Faunaheart?_ She asked herself, getting up and approaching the tom. It was then, when she detected a strange scent that wafted into the den. It was thick with blood, yet among it, she could also smell a hint of juniper berries and other herbs mixed in.

Her pawpads sweated, and with discomfort, she backed away from the other elders and turned her head to a loud cry that was released into the camp. She recognized the voice as Flypaw's, although it was higher-pitched and panicked-sounding.

"E-Everyone, get up! Icestar's lost a life, we lost a lot of land!" yowled Flypaw.

Blizzardpaw was gently pushed aside by Foggystorm, and observed with dread as Chestnutfire followed, leaning on Littleflower's shoulder as they both pursued the grey tabby.

Blizzardpaw raced out of the den and headed quickly for Faunaheart, who emerged from the shadows of his den hurriedly, hissing loudly as thorns and brambles clung to his short, golden fur. Once at the tomcat's side, she craned her neck to the entrance of the camp, where Lilacsong and Branchjump stood guard.

Lilacsong stood, fur flat and tail drooped behind her skinny, pale grey figure. In contrast, Branchjump's lips were pulled back to reveal his yellowish teeth, fur bristled. It didn't take very long until an injured Flypaw burst out into the camp, almost being leapt on by Branchjump, who luckily stopped himself after realizing it was his clanmate.

Flypaw was followed by Featherbranch and then Lynxcry, who carried Icestar by the scruff of his neck, with Snowypath assisting him. Fawndash and Risingpaw were the last to enter the camp, Risingpaw only having a few scratches and Fawndash heavily wounded and gasping for breath.

Blizzardpaw stared at the dead body, a lump forming in her throat and her sight blurring. Ears lowered, the tiny cat crouched down, shaking. Faunaheart simply sighed at her and muttered. "Get up." He ordered.

Chestnutfire's worn voice rose from where the elders stood outside of their den. "Will he be alright?" He demanded.

Lynxcry and Snowypath both dropped Icestar, while Fawndash croaked softly to the brown tabby. "He will be just fine, Chestnutfire, he only lost one life-" She huffed as Duskspring swiftly padded over to the group with Sharppaw and pressed his nose to Featherbranch's forehead, whispering words to the smaller warrior.

"Every single one of you who were on the patrol, get to my den!" Faunaheart called, getting to his feet. Without another word, he trotted away, sliding into the large burrow. Blizzardpaw stared after him, feeling the urge to go after the tomcat, but then decided against it for now. She was bewildered, watching as Risingpaw bolted for Badgerstreak, who gently licked the tip of his ear.

"Are you alright, dear?" Blizzardpaw heard the black-and-white she-cat talk to the tall apprentice. She shifted her gaze to the two felines, before quickly backing away. Yeah, she would just go help Faunaheart.

Turning away, she soon paused. There was the smell of an unfamiliar cat in the air, that made her cease moving completely. Faunaheart poked his head out of the den once again, as if he had scented it as well. He gave Fawndash's shoulder a tiny lick, eyes widening with what appeared to be shock.

Duskspring, Featherbranch, Sharppaw and Lynxcry slowly backed away from the opening to the clearing, while Snowypath dragged Icestar's limp body to Faunaheart's dwelling. Branchjump and Lilacsong both ran for the rest of the Clan. Breathing shakily, Blizzardpaw waited for the new cat to arrive, which had the heavy smell of herbs that she tasted before.

That cat who stepped out was a very bony, dark ginger tabby she-cat, with a torn right ear, which trickled blood, along with gashes on her shoulder and sides. Upon the scrawny cat's arrival, Blizzardpaw could hear Faunaheart breathe quietly.

"Cherrystripe?" The tom whispered, instantly heading for the scratched-up she-cat. Faunaheart halted, his breathing heavy, sides heaving as he inhaled and exhaled rapidly, while Duskspring removed himself from Sharppaw and Featherbranch and then, very slowly, got closer to Faunaheart, who let out a little hiss at the black-and-white warrior. Confusion flooded through Blizzardpaw as she watched.

"Cherrystripe!" Faunaheart's voice grew louder and he then bolted for the tabby she-cat, fur bristling. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

* * *

**-Slowly introduces one of my favorite characters-**


	10. Chapter 9

Blizzardpaw stared as Faunaheart and Cherrystripe gazed at each other. The scrawny dark ginger tabby's olive-green eyes were wide and scared as she looked at the tomcat. She was completely silent, seeming to grow more nervous as FrigidClan cats watched. Faunaheart got closer to the injured cat, and then delicately prodded her shoulder with his dark nose. "Come on, get up, let's get you something to eat, you must be hungry." He meowed. It was easy to notice that he felt discomfort, being observed by a crowd. The uneasiness was in his tone and stance.

Faunaheart nosed Cherrystripe to her feet, and the two cats soon slunk away from the eyes of the other cats hastily.

As Faunaheart passed Blizzardpaw, he nudged and then whispered softly to her. "Come on."

Blizzardpaw slipt away from the rest of FrigidClan and after the two, although, she could sense the cats who were on the patrol, along with Duskspring, were following. She slid after Faunaheart and Cherrystripe, huffing as she nearly tripped over her own paws once entering the den. She flashed a quick glance to her father as he neared Featherbranch, who settled beside Fawndash and lapped at the top of her head.

"Faunaheart, what's going on?" Blizzardpaw asked quietly, bewilderment still lingering in her mind and being hinted in her voice.

Faunaheart looked at her quickly, and turned back to Cherrystripe. He padded swiftly to the herb storage, then, after clearing his throat, called out, appearing to have ignored Blizzardpaw's question. This put a small sting of hurt in her chest, and without another word, she listened.

"Duskspring, is it alright if you assist me for the time?" Faunaheart asked in a whisper, lashing his tail.

Duskspring nodded and departed from Featherbranch's side to reach Faunaheart's. The black-and-white tom's nose twitched at the thick smell of herbs and then casting a brief look to Blizzardpaw and then Fawndash. "What is it that you need me to do?" He inquired, turning back to Faunaheart.

Faunaheart, after scanning the herbs, let out a soft hiss. "Damn it, uh..." He trailed off, squinting while viewing the supplies. Eventually, he dragged goldenrod and some juniper berries out of the hole in the wall, then passed it onto Duskspring. "Give Fawndash the juniper berries, try fixing that wound in her neck, get more herbs if you need to, quick." He ordered, trembling visible. The tomcat swallowed hard and then, after Duskspring took off and sauntered over back to Featherbranch and Fawndash, looked at Blizzardpaw.

Blizzardpaw lifted her gaze. Would he answer her now? She bit her tongue when that wasn't the case and quivered a little.

"Blizzardpaw, you can take care of Risingpaw, right? He has the fewest injuries, so it will be easy for you to tend to him- go, go on, help him." Faunaheart told her, voice now beginning to crack, while he hurriedly trotted toward Cherrystripe with some marigold, then started to dab the herb on the cat's scratched face.

Blizzardpaw sighed softly and, in a haste, approached the herb storage, took out some marigold and cobwebs, and then, craned her neck to the brown-and-white tabby tom who sat in the corner of the den, moping. She let out a quiet grunt and got closer to the silent apprentice. She gazed at Risingpaw for a while, then realized that she wouldn't quite be able to touch many of his gashes.

"Hey, get out of the corner, please." Blizzardpaw grunted, to which, Risingpaw obeyed, with a grumble to himself. He wriggled out of the area in which he sat, then returned to his slouched posture, looking over at Flypaw, who settled next to Lynxcry while being tended to by Duskspring.

Chewing some of the marigold into a pulp and gently parting Risingpaw's fur, Blizzardpaw spat the poultice out and then began to rub it into the tiny cut on the side of the tomcat's neck. She then did the same action for a somewhat deeper scar that was going across his muzzle. The little cat finally slapped thick strands of cobwebs on the small injuries, and Risingpaw responded with a quiet yelp.

"Don't you think you added too many cobwebs?" Risingpaw breathed.

"Not really." Blizzardpaw shrugged, yet in the back of her mind, she knew that she did. She was just to lazy to fix it at the moment... Also, she had no idea if ripping some cobwebs off his face would result in damaging the healing process, so she didn't do anything about it.

Turning away, Blizzardpaw left Risingpaw and dashed over to Faunaheart and Cherrystripe, stopping just in time before she could bump into the cats. With a raised brow, she glanced at Cherrystripe, and listened without a word on both her and Faunaheart's conversation.

"Cherrystripe, what happened? Why were you at the battle, you weren't supposed to be there, were you? You're MumbleClan, I mean, we were meant to fight with CrescentClan." Faunaheart meowed softly.

"H-H-Heavyfrost and Flints-star w-were going to send a patrol t-to help CrescentClan, and, um, I-I was going to go with them in case they needed medical help, and um... When I saw Icestar get attacked, I tried to pull Kinktuft and Woollyfur off of him, b-but..." Cherrystripe trailed off, wheezing afterward, nervously. The deep gashes on her frail shoulders and the tiny scratches on the back of her neck were halfway-healed, yet the cat's torn ear was still bleeding.

"You should have gone with the rest of the FrigidClan patrol, Cherrystripe," Faunaheart murmured. "Did they hurt you this badly? Oh, StarClan, those crazy cats must have not been feeding you very well, your bones are showing. What else did they do? Will Thornpaw be okay?" Faunaheart kept asking questions, voice scratchy and a bit quiet.

Cherrystripe inhaled, having noticed Blizzardpaw watching them both, yet continued with the conversation. "T-They just attacked me right after the fight and, I-I escaped before they could kill me," She mewed. "They also blamed me mostly for Kinktuft's death, but I didn't mean to get her killed by Lynxcry, really, I was just really scared, and, um," The ginger tabby paused for a moment to cough. "Thornpaw is now called Thornfern, Faunaheart, she's been a full medicine cat for only two days."

"Which cats were on the patrols?" Faunaheart demanded quietly, touching his nose to Cherrystripe's head.

"Woollyfur, Gorgepaw, Dunnockwing, Duckbreeze, Heavyfrost and I were part of MumbleClan's patrol. There were six other cats in CrescentClan's, but I only knew Kinktuft, who died. There were also Spiderstar," She cringed as she mentioned the other cat before procceeding. "And, um, Rainsplash, and Greyfall."

Faunaheart nodded, then removed himself from Cherrystripe. "You're always welcome back into FrigidClan," He huffed, then turned to Blizzardpaw, lip pulled back in a small snarl. "Is Risingpaw alright?"

Blizzardpaw dipped her head. "Um, yes... Should I leave you two alone? What should I be working on?"

Faunaheart nodded curtly. "Get some poppy seeds and deliver them to the cats who were on the patrol, give some to the rest of the Clan as well, and leave Cherrystripe and I alone for now."


	11. Chapter 10

Blizzardpaw watched as Icestar stood at the base of his den, underneath the branch of the hollow tree and gazing into the crowd with his green eyes. A meeting had been called. Settled close to Coonpaw and Frozenpaw, she listened carefully as instructed by the white tomcat. Yet, she did flash looks to Cherrystripe, Duskspring and Faunaheart, who sat together behind Featherbranch and Mudslip. An odd feeling pricked at her chest as she studied the three, but didn't bother to question what she felt at the time and turned her head back to Icestar slowly.

A large scar ran down the white tom's neck, and his face still had deep scratches going across. Flicking his ripped ear, Icestar began to speak in a low, gravelly voice. "I have to address a couple of things," said Icestar. "Flypaw and Risingpaw's excellence at the battle two days ago has earned them their ceremony." He ceased speaking as soon as meows of approval rose up from the crowd.

Blizzardpaw heard comments such as, "Risingpaw barely even had a scratch on him," and, "Flypaw fought bravely, I heard."

Glancing at the two apprentices, Blizzardpaw studied them. Risingpaw stood, chest puffed outward in pride, lips curled into a smile and tail lifted. Flypaw's purring was loud enough for Blizzardpaw to hear. A whisper came from Coonpaw.

"One day, we'll be just like them," Coonpaw rumbled happily. "We'll all be really good warriors."

Blizzardpaw chuckled slightly at the brown tabby, while Frozenpaw glanced at him quickly and gave a small nod in agreement.

"Flypaw and Risingpaw, step forward!" Icestar called for the two cats. Risingpaw sauntered up to the tom, standing two fox-lengths away, while Flypaw flanked him. The black tomcat's eyes were wide, and he seemed to be completely fine with himself having a slight limp in his step. The two toms sat down and stared at Icestar, waiting.

"Do you both promise to protect FrigidClan, even at the cost of your own life?" questioned Icestar.

"I do!" Flypaw chirped, ears pricked. His amber eyes shined brightly.

"I do." answered Risingpaw, twitching his black nose.

"Then, from this day onward, Flypaw, you will be named Flyskip. FrigidClan honors your courage and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full member of FrigidClan." said Icestar. The white tom looked away from the new warrior and to the brown-and-white tabby sitting beside him.

"And, Risingpaw, you will now be called Risingfire. FrigidClan honors your fighting skill and determination, and we welcome you as a full member of FrigidClan."

"Flyskip, Risingfire! Flyskip, Risingfire!" Cheers erupted from the crowd of cats, as Icestar neared the two new warriors and pressed his nose to their heads, Flyskip and then Risingfire. The two brothers flattened their ears, and then quickly walked back to the crowd as soon as they were dismissed. They sat beside Goosepelt and waited for the meeting to continue.

"FrigidClan will be attending the Gathering tonight," said Icestar. "Yet, I will not be going. Badgerstreak will lead the Clan to the Clearing Rocks, I would also like to remind everyone to be careful of MumbleClan and CrescentClan," He announced, then began to scan the crowd. "The cats going to the Gathering will be Lynxcry, Faunaheart, Goosepelt, Duskspring, Branchjump, Coonpaw, Blizzardpaw, Frozenpaw, Sharppaw and Littleflower. All of you _will _do as Badgerstreak commands."

"Meeting dismissed." Icestar finished, lifting his tail, swishing it and then scurrying back into his den in a heartbeat.

Timeskip: Four Hours, 10:00 P.M.

Outside of the camp was amazing to Blizzardpaw. There were more pine trees that loomed over the tiny cat, and ferns that protruded from the ground, and the scent of herbs increased slightly. Her blue eyes flashed upward and she stared at the twinkling stars that laid on the sky's dark blue canvas. The full moon glowed luminously, the light shone on the forest floor. The air was cool, with colder breezes passing through the forest.

Blizzardpaw emitted a small hiss as she step downward, barely noticing the sudden, steep hill that nearly caused her to trip over.

"Watch where you're going, dear." said Duskspring, who followed close behind the smaller cat. Quietly, he neared Blizzardpaw, gave the tip of her ear a little lick, and then hurried away to catch up with Frozenpaw, who ran ahead to Lynxcry and Sharppaw.

Looking over her shoulder, Blizzardpaw saw both Goosepelt, Littleflower, and Branchjump keeping up with the back of the group. Ahead, Coonpaw traveled along silently, swiftly. She bolted after the brown tabby, and upon reaching his side, the tom turned his head to her, his green eyes glimmering.

"How are you?" Coonpaw asked, excitement hinting in his voice.

A purr escaped Blizzardpaw. "I'm fine," She replied. "How about you?"

"I'm great, Blizzardpaw," Coonpaw replied, blinking in happiness. "You're going to have a lot of a fun tonight, I know it. You could meet Flarepaw, Heatherpaw... You might like Heatherpaw, she's really cool."

Blizzardpaw nodded. "Could you introduce them to me?" She asked, perking her ears with interest. Coonpaw nodded and grinned. "Yeah, I could, if you want-" He let out a sudden hiss as he nearly tripped over a root sticking out of the ground. He was about to continue, when Badgerstreak's voice rose up from the front of the patrol.

"FrigidClan, we've arrived." The black-and-white deputy meowed, her plume-like tail lifting in the air. Coonpaw softly grunted and signaled Blizzardpaw to follow him, before dashing away to the front, to Faunaheart's side. Racing after the tom, Blizzardpaw emitted a little purr and paused right when she got close enough to Faunaheart and Coonpaw.

Met with a smooth hill, leading down to a small valley, Blizzardpaw stared with joy. The trickling of water in the streams below, in the ravine, entered her ears and she let out a little chirp. There were also many cats gathered in front of a couple of rocks, that reflected the soft moonlight that shone on them.

On the rocks, there were two cats, who Blizzardpaw assumed were part of MumbleClan and CrescentClan. Both were males, one was a small, short-haired, dark brown tabby tom, whose pelt was a soft silverish color in the night's light. The other tomcat was long-legged, skinny, grey with a stripe-patterned coat.

Blizzardpaw raced down the hill behind Coonpaw as soon as Badgerstreak began sauntering downward, heading to the the collection of rocks and leaping on top of them as soon as she approached them.

Blizzardpaw felt the bizarre urge to go after Badgerstreak and join her on the rocks, yet pulled herself away from the thought in time and hurried after Coonpaw, Sharppaw and Frozenpaw. The four apprentices strolled to other cats who were grouped together, and Blizzardpaw crinkled up her nose.

The scents were all foul and strange to her, but she attempted successfully to not complain about it. Blizzardpaw kept close to her siblings and gazed at the other cats curiously.

There were four others, three of them had the same scent to them. Two were also she-cats, yet there was one tom. One of the females were small, with a solid-black pelt. The other was a grey cat, with dark green eyes. The tom in the little circle was grey with a classic tabby pattern, and light amber eyes. The unknown cat that didn't seem to be in their Clan was a light, pale brown-and-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Coonpaw hurried to the the black she-cat and her two clanmates, before turning his head to Frozenpaw, Sharppaw and Blizzardpaw, and then, looked back at the four. "Hi, Ebonypaw, Greypaw, Heatherpaw!" Coonpaw greeted them joyfully, approaching the black cat, Ebonypaw, and gently nosing the top of her head.

"Hello!" replied Ebonypaw. The little she-cat appeared to be a little younger than Blizzardpaw, and they were at the same height which kind of bothered her, admittedly. Blizzardpaw stared at the soft-sounding cat, fur prickling. Coonpaw gazed a while at the other cats, then looked over his shoulder at the FrigidClan apprentices.

"These are my clanmates," Coonpaw told them. "Their names are Sharppaw, Frozenpaw and Blizzardpaw... You three can talk for a while if you want, they're all really nice..." He paused and then turned to the brown-and-white tabby.

"Hey, Ferretpaw, where's Flarepaw?" Coonpaw inquired, raising a 'brow' at the she-cat.

"Flarepaw had to stay at camp, he stepped on a thorn, and it kept him from coming to the Gathering," The brown-and-white cat answered, smiling. "I told him to watch himself while hunting, the clumsy furball... Oh, and, um, Coonpaw, my name isn't Ferretpaw anymore." Her face brightened.

Coonpaw piped up instantly. "You're a warrior now? What's your name? Who else is a warrior?"

"My name is Ferretpool now... We also got a ton of new warriors. Flarepaw is now Flaretalon, then there's Leopardheart, Beechpelt and Seedstep. Also, Windwillow's kit became an apprentice, so did Rainsplash's kits, Stormpaw and Sweetpaw."

"Ferretpool really suits you," Coonpaw stated, puffing up his fur. "You're really calm, most of the time, and you told me that you were a really good swimmer, so. Yeah. It suits you, yeah."

Ferretpool grinned. "Thanks a lot," She purred, and then looked at Blizzardpaw and her siblings. "Are these the new apprentices? The darker grey-and-white one is so little!" She exclaimed, eyes shimmering with amusement.

Blizzardpaw immeadiately felt hot. The comment somehow bothered her and she coughed noiselessly. While she went quiet, Coonpaw quietly giggled like a little kit at her and went to sit between her and Sharppaw.

"She doesn't mean anything by it-" Coonpaw began, then was cut off when a hiss emitted from behind them.

Blizzardpaw pretty much turned her head a 93-degree angle to Faunaheart, who stood, chest puffed out, staring at her with yellow eyes.

"Blizzardpaw, come on, you are going to meet the other medicine cats." said Faunaheart, and with that, just reached over and grabbed the little cat by the scruff of her neck, and then, dragged her away from the group of apprentices.

Now, she was burning. Blizzardpaw kept words from leaving her mouth, even at Ferretpool's chuckle at the scene, and Frozenpaw's soft laughter. She curled up as she w,as dragged across the ground and waited quietly, listening to the sound of a loud yowl being released from one of the cats on the rock.

"The Gathering shall begin now!" The small, dark brown tom announced loudly, his voice was high-pitched for a male. Right then, he began to announce things that Blizzardpaw could barely hear through the loud sounds of the crowd of cats, which eventually died down.

"CrescentClan has welcomed five new warriors into its ranks- Leopardheart, Flaretalon, Ferretpool, Beechpelt and Seedstep. We also have three new apprentices, Stormpaw and Sweetpaw training as warriors, while a young tomcat by the name of Hazelpaw will be training as a medicine cat under Tangleleaf's instruction. Other than that, we have nothing else to report!"

Murmuring arose from the three cats on the rocks, then out of the corner of her eye, Blizzardpaw saw the grey tabby tom, his dark amber gaze scanning the mass of felines quietly before he himself began to talk about MumbleClan's news.

"We too have a new warrior- Furzeclaw, who has been named for her wisdom and intelligence. Our medicine cat, Thornfern, has also taken on the role as the full medicine cat of MumbleClan," He meowed. "Prey has been running very well in the Clan's territory. That is all we have to announce."

The grey tabby turned to Badgerstreak and softly hissed at the black-and-white deputy, who awaited her turn to speak. He wore a disgusted look on his face, which kind of scared Blizzardpaw. His stance, everything- it made him look like he wanted to tear the other cat apart. She wriggled around in Faunaheart's grasp, accidentally kicking one CrescentClan cat.

"Watch it!" The spotted she-cat hissed, as Faunaheart quickly pulled Blizzardpaw, finally bringing her to where other cats settled at the base of the rocks.

Faunaheart dropped her right in the shade, where she could barely see around. She could, however, see the other medicine cats up close. She didn't want to bother with them though, and Faunaheart wasn't forcing her to do any socializing with them, yet. She pressed her nose nervously to Faunaheart's soft fur and listened to Badgerstreak.

"FrigidClan has nothing to report- although, as some of you may be wondering why I am here, Icestar has taken the night off from the Gathering, as he has a couple of warriors to talk to-"

"Of course, the Gathering means nothing to him, we got it." The brown tabby, Spiderstar, huffed, and Blizzardpaw could just smell the annoyance wafting off Badgerstreak as she let out a long, deep exhale. She could also guess what Badgerstreak wanted to say- perhaps, something along the lines of, _"Shut up. You're so stupid, no one likes you."_

"Spiderstar, calm down," Huffed the other tomcat who was on the rock. "We all know he could care less and probably won't go to another Gathering like the last few we've had... Must be a pretty lazy tomcat, if I do say so myself."

Spiderstar grunted. "You know what to say to keep me calm, Flintstar." The leader chatted away with the grey tabby for a while, which Blizzardpaw couldn't make out in any way. Badgerstreak hissed softly at them both, as if something they had said offended her.

"We have two new warriors named Flyskip and Risingfire," Badgerstreak said, finally. "And, three new apprentices, Sharppaw, Blizzardpaw and Frozenpaw," Her voice began to go quieter. "And, um, yeah... I guess the Gathering's ready to be done now." She said in a hushed tone.


	12. Chapter 11

Blizzardpaw watched as Icestar stood at the base of his den, underneath the branch of the hollow tree and gazing into the crowd with his green eyes. A meeting had been called. Settled close to Coonpaw and Frozenpaw, she listened carefully as instructed by the white tomcat. Yet, she did flash looks to Cherrystripe, Duskspring and Faunaheart, who sat together behind Featherbranch and Mudslip. An odd feeling pricked at her chest as she studied the three, but didn't bother to question what she felt at the time and turned her head back to Icestar slowly.

A large scar ran down the white tom's neck, and his face still had deep scratches going across. Flicking his ripped ear, Icestar began to speak in a low, gravelly voice. "I have to address a couple of things," said Icestar. "Flypaw and Risingpaw's excellence at the battle two days ago has earned them their ceremony." He ceased speaking as soon as meows of approval rose up from the crowd.

Blizzardpaw heard comments such as, "Risingpaw barely even had a scratch on him," and, "Flypaw fought bravely, I heard."

Glancing at the two apprentices, Blizzardpaw studied them. Risingpaw stood, chest puffed outward in pride, lips curled into a smile and tail lifted. Flypaw's purring was loud enough for Blizzardpaw to hear. A whisper came from Coonpaw.

"One day, we'll be just like them," Coonpaw rumbled happily. "We'll all be really good warriors."

Blizzardpaw chuckled slightly at the brown tabby, while Frozenpaw glanced at him quickly and gave a small nod in agreement.

"Flypaw and Risingpaw, step forward!" Icestar called for the two cats. Risingpaw sauntered up to the tom, standing two fox-lengths away, while Flypaw flanked him. The black tomcat's eyes were wide, and he seemed to be completely fine with himself having a slight limp in his step. The two toms sat down and stared at Icestar, waiting.

"Do you both promise to protect FrigidClan, even at the cost of your own life?" questioned Icestar.

"I do!" Flypaw chirped, ears pricked. His amber eyes shined brightly.

"I do." answered Risingpaw, twitching his black nose.

"Then, from this day onward, Flypaw, you will be named Flyskip. FrigidClan honors your courage and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full member of FrigidClan." said Icestar. The white tom looked away from the new warrior and to the brown-and-white tabby sitting beside him.

"And, Risingpaw, you will now be called Risingfire. FrigidClan honors your fighting skill and determination, and we welcome you as a full member of FrigidClan."

"Flyskip, Risingfire! Flyskip, Risingfire!" Cheers erupted from the crowd of cats, as Icestar neared the two new warriors and pressed his nose to their heads, Flyskip and then Risingfire. The two brothers flattened their ears, and then quickly walked back to the crowd as soon as they were dismissed. They sat beside Goosepelt and waited for the meeting to continue.

"FrigidClan will be attending the Gathering tonight," said Icestar. "Yet, I will not be going. Badgerstreak will lead the Clan to the Clearing Rocks, I would also like to remind everyone to be careful of MumbleClan and CrescentClan," He announced, then began to scan the crowd. "The cats going to the Gathering will be Lynxcry, Faunaheart, Goosepelt, Duskspring, Branchjump, Coonpaw, Blizzardpaw, Frozenpaw, Sharppaw and Littleflower. All of you _will _do as Badgerstreak commands."

"Meeting dismissed." Icestar finished, lifting his tail, swishing it and then scurrying back into his den in a heartbeat.

* * *

Outside of the camp was amazing to Blizzardpaw. There were more pine trees that loomed over the tiny cat, and ferns that protruded from the ground, and the scent of herbs increased slightly. Her blue eyes flashed upward and she stared at the twinkling stars that laid on the sky's dark blue canvas. The full moon glowed luminously, the light shone on the forest floor. The air was cool, with colder breezes passing through the forest.

Blizzardpaw emitted a small hiss as she step downward, barely noticing the sudden, steep hill that nearly caused her to trip over.

"Watch where you're going, dear." said Duskspring, who followed close behind the smaller cat. Quietly, he neared Blizzardpaw, gave the tip of her ear a little lick, and then hurried away to catch up with Frozenpaw, who ran ahead to Lynxcry and Sharppaw.

Looking over her shoulder, Blizzardpaw saw both Goosepelt, Littleflower, and Branchjump keeping up with the back of the group. Ahead, Coonpaw traveled along silently, swiftly. She bolted after the brown tabby, and upon reaching his side, the tom turned his head to her, his green eyes glimmering.

"How are you?" Coonpaw asked, excitement hinting in his voice.

A purr escaped Blizzardpaw. "I'm fine," She replied. "How about you?"

"I'm great, Blizzardpaw," Coonpaw replied, blinking in happiness. "You're going to have a lot of a fun tonight, I know it. You could meet Flarepaw, Heatherpaw... You might like Heatherpaw, she's really cool."

Blizzardpaw nodded. "Could you introduce them to me?" She asked, perking her ears with interest. Coonpaw nodded and grinned. "Yeah, I could, if you want-" He let out a sudden hiss as he nearly tripped over a root sticking out of the ground. He was about to continue, when Badgerstreak's voice rose up from the front of the patrol.

"FrigidClan, we've arrived." The black-and-white deputy meowed, her plume-like tail lifting in the air. Coonpaw softly grunted and signaled Blizzardpaw to follow him, before dashing away to the front, to Faunaheart's side. Racing after the tom, Blizzardpaw emitted a little purr and paused right when she got close enough to Faunaheart and Coonpaw.

Met with a smooth hill, leading down to a small valley, Blizzardpaw stared with joy. The trickling of water in the streams below, in the ravine, entered her ears and she let out a little chirp. There were also many cats gathered in front of a couple of rocks, that reflected the soft moonlight that shone on them.

On the rocks, there were two cats, who Blizzardpaw assumed were part of MumbleClan and CrescentClan. Both were males, one was a small, short-haired, dark brown tabby tom, whose pelt was a soft silverish color in the night's light. The other tomcat was long-legged, skinny, grey with a stripe-patterned coat.

Blizzardpaw raced down the hill behind Coonpaw as soon as Badgerstreak began sauntering downward, heading to the the collection of rocks and leaping on top of them as soon as she approached them.

Blizzardpaw felt the bizarre urge to go after Badgerstreak and join her on the rocks, yet pulled herself away from the thought in time and hurried after Coonpaw, Sharppaw and Frozenpaw. The four apprentices strolled to other cats who were grouped together, and Blizzardpaw crinkled up her nose.

The scents were all foul and strange to her, but she attempted successfully to not complain about it. Blizzardpaw kept close to her siblings and gazed at the other cats curiously.

There were four others, three of them had the same scent to them. Two were also she-cats, yet there was one tom. One of the females were small, with a solid-black pelt. The other was a grey cat, with dark green eyes. The tom in the little circle was grey with a classic tabby pattern, and light amber eyes. The unknown cat that didn't seem to be in their Clan was a light, pale brown-and-white tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Coonpaw hurried to the the black she-cat and her two clanmates, before turning his head to Frozenpaw, Sharppaw and Blizzardpaw, and then, looked back at the four. "Hi, Ebonypaw, Greypaw, Heatherpaw!" Coonpaw greeted them joyfully, approaching the black cat, Ebonypaw, and gently nosing the top of her head.

"Hello!" replied Ebonypaw. The little she-cat appeared to be a little younger than Blizzardpaw, and they were at the same height which kind of bothered her, admittedly. Blizzardpaw stared at the soft-sounding cat, fur prickling. Coonpaw gazed a while at the other cats, then looked over his shoulder at the FrigidClan apprentices.

"These are my clanmates," Coonpaw told them. "Their names are Sharppaw, Frozenpaw and Blizzardpaw. You three can talk for a while if you want, they're all really nice." He paused and then turned to the brown-and-white tabby.

"Hey, Ferretpaw, where's Flarepaw?" Coonpaw inquired, raising a 'brow' at the she-cat.

"Flarepaw had to stay at camp, he stepped on a thorn, and it kept him from coming to the Gathering," The brown-and-white cat answered, smiling. "I told him to watch himself while hunting, the clumsy furball... Oh, and, um, Coonpaw, my name isn't Ferretpaw anymore." Her face brightened.

Coonpaw piped up instantly. "You're a warrior now? What's your name? Who else is a warrior?"

"My name is Ferretpool now... We also got a ton of new warriors. Flarepaw is now Flaretalon, then there's Leopardheart, Beechpelt and Seedstep. Also, Windwillow's kits became apprentices."

"Ferretpool really suits you," Coonpaw stated, puffing up his fur. "You're really calm, most of the time, and you told me that you were a really good swimmer, so. Yeah. It suits you, yeah."

Ferretpool grinned. "Thanks a lot," She purred, and then looked at Blizzardpaw and her siblings. "Are these the new apprentices? The darker grey-and-white one is so little!" She exclaimed, eyes shimmering with amusement.

Blizzardpaw immeadiately felt hot. The comment somehow bothered her and she coughed noiselessly. While she went quiet, Coonpaw quietly giggled like a little kit at her and went to sit between her and Sharppaw.

"She doesn't mean anything by it-" Coonpaw began, then was cut off when a hiss emitted from behind them.

Blizzardpaw pretty much turned her head a 93-degree angle to Faunaheart, who stood, chest puffed out, staring at her with yellow eyes.

"Blizzardpaw, come on, you are going to meet the other medicine cats." said Faunaheart, and with that, just reached over and grabbed the little cat by the scruff of her neck, and then, dragged her away from the group of apprentices.

Now, she was burning. Blizzardpaw kept words from leaving her mouth, even at Ferretpool's chuckle at the scene, and Frozenpaw's soft laughter. She curled up as she w,as dragged across the ground and waited quietly, listening to the sound of a loud yowl being released from one of the cats on the rock.

"The Gathering shall begin now!" The small, dark brown tom announced loudly, his voice was high-pitched for a male. Right then, he began to announce things that Blizzardpaw could barely hear through the loud sounds of the crowd of cats, which eventually died down.

"CrescentClan has welcomed five new warriors into its ranks- Leopardheart, Flaretalon, Ferretpool, Beechpelt and Seedstep. We also have three new apprentices, Stormpaw and Sweetpaw training as warriors, while a young tomcat by the name of Hazelpaw will be training as a medicine cat under Tangleleaf's instruction. Other than that, we have nothing else to report!"

Murmuring arose from the three cats on the rocks, then out of the corner of her eye, Blizzardpaw saw the grey tabby tom, his dark amber gaze scanning the mass of felines quietly before he himself began to talk about MumbleClan's news.

"We too have a new warrior- Furzeclaw, who has been named for her wisdom and intelligence. Our medicine cat, Thornfern, has also taken on the role as the full medicine cat of MumbleClan," He meowed. "Prey has been running very well in the Clan's territory. That is all we have to announce."

The grey tabby turned to Badgerstreak and softly hissed at the black-and-white deputy, who awaited her turn to speak. He wore a disgusted look on his face, which kind of scared Blizzardpaw. His stance, everything- it made him look like he wanted to tear the other cat apart. She wriggled around in Faunaheart's grasp, accidentally kicking one CrescentClan cat.

"Watch it!" The spotted she-cat hissed, as Faunaheart quickly pulled Blizzardpaw, finally bringing her to where other cats settled at the base of the rocks.

Faunaheart dropped her right in the shade, where she could barely see around. She could, however, see the other medicine cats up close. She didn't want to bother with them though, and Faunaheart wasn't forcing her to do any socializing with them, yet. She pressed her nose nervously to Faunaheart's soft fur and listened to Badgerstreak.

"FrigidClan has nothing to report- although, as some of you may be wondering why I am here, Icestar has taken the night off from the Gathering, as he has a couple of warriors to talk to-"

"Of course, the Gathering means nothing to him, we got it." The brown tabby, Spiderstar, huffed, and Blizzardpaw could just smell the annoyance wafting off Badgerstreak as she let out a long, deep exhale. She could also guess what Badgerstreak wanted to say- perhaps, something along the lines of, _"Shut up. You're so stupid, no one likes you."_

"Spiderstar, calm down," Huffed the other tomcat who was on the rock. "We all know he could care less and probably won't go to another Gathering like the last few we've had... Must be a pretty lazy tomcat, if I do say so myself."

Spiderstar grunted. "You know what to say to keep me calm, Flintstar." The leader chatted away with the grey tabby for a while, which Blizzardpaw couldn't make out in any way. Badgerstreak hissed softly at them both, as if something they had said offended her.

"We have two new warriors named Flyskip and Risingfire," Badgerstreak said, finally. "And, three new apprentices, Sharppaw, Blizzardpaw and Frozenpaw," Her voice began to go quieter. "And, um, yeah... I guess the Gathering's ready to be done now." She said in a hushed tone.


	13. Chapter 12

Blizzardpaw awoke to a loud screech erupting from within the camp. The scream nearly made her jump out of her nest in an instant, cobalt-hued eyes enlarging at the horrible, high-pitched noise.

From her section of her den, Blizzardpaw heard Faunaheart's exhausted voice. "What the-" Another yowl echoed throughout the camp, then another followed soon after by the same distressed cat.

Blizzardpaw hopped to her paws, fur on end as she hurried out of the section of her herb, passing Cherrystripe and Faunaheart who had been chatting away until the scream was heard. Now, Cherrystripe collected herbs, while Faunaheart urged her to hurry. Brushing past the thorns and brambles, Blizzardpaw was the first of the cats in the medicine cat den to exit, followed by her mentor and then the dark ginger tabby that pursued them both.

Icestar was already emerging from his den with Badgerstreak, while Featherbranch, Lilacsong and the other warriors who had remained in the camp. A faint light fell down from the early-morning sky above. Bewildered, growls and mutters escaped from most of the cats in the clearing. Blizzardpaw heard Cherrystripe and Faunaheart both talk among each other, yet their voices were very soft and not audible to the small cat. Unsheathing tiny claws, Blizzardpaw gazed at the entrance to the camp, frightened.

Owlpaw bolted out of the opening to the clearing and halted immeadiately there, fur bristled, expression filled with fear. Her lips were pulled back, as he let out another screech. "CrescentClan- Cre-CrescentClan attacked us at the border! T-There are w-way too many cats f-for us to fight off! We need back up, and Frozenpaw hasn't come back from... Oh StarClan, Branchjump is horribly wounded, and I don't even think _Lynxcry_ is going to make it any longer i-if we don't hurry! Please, help us, please, Icestar!" His voice was panicky and once he stopped speaking, the white, pale-flecked tom began to breathe heavily, gasping for air.

Blizzardpaw gazed at the cat, who nearly fell over, staggering. He didn't have any injuries,and it appeared that he hadn't been attacked by any CrescentClan warrior that had ran into the territory. Even though, he looked beyond terrified.

Blizzardpaw glanced at Icestar, who stood pressed against Badgerstreak, hackles raised. The tom turned to face the warriors' den, where most of FrigidClan's remaining cats observed. He let out a small growl at them.

"Goosepelt, Featherbranch, head to CrescentClan's border now," Icestar commanded, then turned to Badgerstreak. "Lead them there, take Faunaheart and Blizzardpaw with you. Lilacsong, get to MumbleClan's border... Badgerstreak, take Coonpaw with you too. I'll stay here with Sharppaw, Owlpaw, Cherrystripe and Rockleap, be careful, all of you."

Badgerstreak nodded to Icestar, then lifted her plume-like tail, beckoning the cats told to follow her to the CrescentClan border. Blizzardpaw was nearly shoved aside by Faunaheart as he nearly ran to the deputy. With a small hiss, she trailed after her mentor.

Once reaching the group, where Badgerstreak, Faunaheart, Featherbranch and herself gathered, Blizzardpaw gave her mother a nervous look.

The lighter grey she-cat's head with raised, chin high, trying to push away her own fear by keeping her fur flat and ears perked as she waited for orders from Badgerstreak. Goosepelt approached the cats with Coonpaw, while Lilacsong went ahead of the cats and bolted out of the camp. Glancing at Coonpaw now, Blizzardpaw felt a chill run down her spine. The brown tabby cat seemed to be deep in thought, ears flattened against his head and his dark green eyes full of a mix of fear and confusion. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Quietly, Blizzardpaw whispered to him in a trembling voice. "Hey, it'll be alright... Owlpaw's safe, I'm sure Mudslip and Snowypath are too." She mumbled, at least hoping that would help soothe the troubled-seeming cat. In reply, Coonpaw only whimpered softly, flashed his gaze to her, then returned to his thinking. He gave a slight nod afterwards.

Blizzardpaw gazed at him for a while longer, before turning to Badgerstreak's sharp hiss. "Let's go!"

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter!**


	14. Chapter 13

Blizzardpaw raced after Faunaheart, barely keeping up with the tomcat and the rest of the group of cats. The tiny cat eventually reached his side, pain aching in her legs as she forced herself to go faster and faster. She could hear yowling from a distance and gasped for air as she ran, watching with dizzy sight as Badgerstreak, Goosepelt and Featherbranch led the cats, while Coonpaw flanked Goosepelt.

Bursting through clusters of brambles and other foliage, Blizzardpaw closed her eyes, ears flattened against her head as the cats made their way through the large territory. She felt her heart pound repeatedly as the noisy hissing increased as the cats got closer. Once she bolted ahead of Faunaheart and behind Coonpaw. Eyes shutting tightly, she launched herself, head-first through the bushes after Badgerstreak and the others. Right when she entered the area, she saw the flash of pelt and the scents that crowded the loud fighting was overwhelming to her. She felt teeth grab onto her scruff.

With a yelp, Blizzardpaw began to thrash around in the cat's grip, weakly. A muffled hiss came from the cat holding onto her, which she identified to be Faunaheart's. "Are you an idiot?" He growled, dragging her away from the battle. "Stay in cover!" Blizzardpaw was pulled into the undergrowth, and then dropped onto the ground when her mentor let go of her.

Blizzardpaw inhaled heavily as she observed and pressed up against Faunaheart, feeling a rush of fear. Lynxcry was battling against two CrescentClan cats- one tortoiseshell she-cat and the other, a young, muscular golden tabby tom. Badgerstreak ran over to assist the large, mottled tom, while Featherbranch charged at a pale grey warrior. Goosepelt raced over to Branchjump, who laid still in a pool of blood that was already soaking into the grass. Blizzardpaw felt her blood run cold and she backed away, trembling. Where was Frozenpaw?

Beside Blizzardpaw, Faunaheart growled quietly at the sight of Badgerstreak being pulled by a tall grey tom, away from Lynxcry. She turned to bring her claws down the cat's face, who managed to leap at her in return. Turning away from the fighting cats, Blizzardpaw huddled against a set of brambles behind Faunaheart noiselessly. She flattened her ears and let out a silent hiss as a silver classical-tabby tomcat locked eyes on Faunaheart, after pushing Coonpaw off of him and onto another cat to fight with.

The well-muscled, lean CrescentClan warrior growled loudly, before bristling his fur and then dashing toward Faunaheart- who got into a fighting stance- and Blizzardpaw. Opening her mouth to yell for help, Blizzardpaw quickly shut it when the silver tabby nearly ran into the little hiding place. However, Lynxcry's bulky body rammed into the other cat, who was knocked over by the forced. The mottled grey tomcat towered over the smaller cat, his raised hackles making him look larger than usual. The two jumped at each other, yet Lynxcry eventually pinned the other warrior down and bit down on his ear, hard.

"CrescentClan, attack!" A shriek sounded from the stream that bordered the CrescentClan border, and one by one, three warriors burst out of the foliage that covered them and into the fray. One of them, Blizzardpaw recognized as Ferretpool, who raced to a golden tabby tomcat, claws unsheathed, but fur flat and smooth. With him, she and the tom ran for Goosepelt, who stood guard over Branchjump's body. Blizzardpaw flinched away when the two cats attacked the speckled warrior.

Blizzardpaw succeeded in blocking out the sounds of the battle, until a loud cry from Badgerstreak rose. "FrigidClan, retreat!"

Blizzardpaw's eyes flashed at the words, and she was also almost shoved by Faunaheart, who hissed apprehensively. "Go, now."


	15. Chapter 14

Yesterday was grueling, to say the least. When the FrigidClan cats arrived back at the camp, they never found Frozenpaw, and had sent out search patrols to look for her. Branchjump was also dead, and the cat who seemed to grieve the most was Goosepelt, his mother. Mudslip provided some comfort for the she-cat, along with Duskspring, who offered to hunt for her. The patrol at the MumbleClan border also returned. There was also the word of Owlpaw and Coonpaw soon becoming warriors, which agitated a few cats. After all, the two brother were only nine moons of age. The herb supply also decreased dramatically, and Blizzardpaw was sent out with another cat, a warrior named Rockleap, to find some. It also seemed that Rockleap and Cherrystripe were both getting along very well, and became fast friends.

Blizzardpaw and Rockleap stayed far away from the CrescentClan border, and had gone to an area a bit far from the FrigidClan camp. It was an odd place, and it didn't seem that many FrigidClan patrols went there to check the borders, only for one every few days, apparently. There was a collection of burrows and caves around a pool of shallow water and surrounded by small hills. It was a natural dip in the land, and the pool had a stream that lead to the river. It also had a lot of foliage around it.

Blizzardpaw quietly sniffed at a few plants and identified juniper berries growing from a shrub. She lifted her head, turned and chirped to Rockleap. "Can you find anything?" She asked, before looking back at the purple-blue berries. She took the leaves carrying the berries, then dropped them in front of herself, hearing Rockleap respond with a 'yes', and then beginning to walk over to the medicine cat apprentice.

Looking over her shoulder at the soft-spoken warrior, who carried two marigold plants, Blizzardpaw let out a small, almost forced purr, as she wasn't really feeling too well at the time. She still attempted to sound optimistic, although FrigidClan lost the battle against CrescentClan, and also lost a strip of land that went past the river and onto a bit of FrigidClan's own land. She kicked the beech leaf that Faunaheart gave her to Rockleap and told her to put the marigold in it.

After Rockleap put the herbs there, Blizzardpaw also set the three juniper berries in with it. Rockleap shifted her paws slightly. "I found thyme leaves too, I think... And some goldenrod." She uttered. Blizzardpaw let out a quiet rumble at the sandy-grey cat, then passed her.

"Where?"

"There's the goldenrod close to the burrow over there," Rockleap replied, her olive-green eyes shifting to the hole in the side of a hill. "And the thyme is, uh, closer to the pool. I'll go get it." She said quickly, before turning and padding away hastily. Blizzardpaw could see that the she-cat's fur was bristled, and she was about to say something to her, in an attempt to try starting up a real conversation with her, but then bit her tongue when Rockleap soon returned with the thyme and dropped the herb in the beech leaf.

Blizzardpaw gave the female an awkward smile, then took off to go fetch the goldenrod. She returned a minute later with the plant and gave a quivering purr. "Should we go now?" She questioned, and Rockleap simply nodded.

Rockleap flicked her lighter tailtip. The wiry she-cat then slowly ambled off, yet she appeared to hesitate, as if she wanted to stay in the area. But, she followed Blizzardpaw out of the clearing.

They reached the camp, and Blizzardpaw could Rockleap murmur softly to Blizzardpaw. "Looks like we're just in time..." She said.

Icestar stood on the tree branch above the den where he called meetings. The large black-eared tomcat gazed down with his piercing, bright green gaze. Badgerstreak settled her bulky figure at the base of the tree and stared forward, while a loud yowl came from Icestar, as the thick-furred leader called a meeting. "All cats join here for a Clan meeting!"

Blizzardpaw trotted past Rockleap, who followed. The two she-cats sat down, a bit close to the freshkill pile. The sandy-grey warrior took a mouse out of the heap, and then quietly began to eat. Flyskip and Risingfire sat together behind the she-cats, along with Lynxcry- who managed to recover from the battle with CrescentClan. He was, however, left with many scars on his body.

Blizzardpaw listened noiselessly as Icestar began to speak.

"After the battle against CrescentClan, we have received approval from the elders, Littleflower and Chestnutfire, to have warrior ceremonies for Owlpaw and Coonpaw," Icestar declared, while small growls emitted from within the crowd. "I will also be sending search patrols to look for Frozenpaw soon. We will also be heading to take the land from CrescentClan very soon, tomorrow." He ignored the cats who seemed annoyed.

"Sir..." Coonpaw spoke up from the crowd. Blizzardpaw glanced at the brown tabby, who stood up beside Owlpaw. "I know it, uh, isn't my place to speak, but-"

Icestar interrupted him with a hiss. "Get on with it."

"Is it okay if I ask why we have to fight CrescentClan and MumbleClan? Can't we talk to them or convince them to ally with us?" Coonpaw inquired.

Icestar narrowed his eyes at the apprentice. Blizzardpaw flinched, glancing again at Coonpaw. The tom seemed anxious, but he continued. "I thought we could send a patrol to their border to speak with them."

"Do you have bees in your brain?" A sharp growl instantly sounded from Featherbranch. "Spiderstar's insane, Coonpaw, just like the rest of CrescentClan. I'll 'talk it out' with them when hedgehogs fly!"

"Featherbranch, please." Duskspring hissed quietly, eyeing the light grey she-cat, voice apprehensive. Risingfire, however, joined in.

"I don't think they will even bother to speak, they'll just try to rip the patrol apart. MumbleClan is full of cats who are madder than rogues." Risingfire hissed, tail lashing as he glared at Coonpaw. Icestar lifted his tail to silence the bewildered and angered cats. Blizzardpaw stared at Owlpaw, whose claws were unsheathed, his lip curled as he stood protectively beside Coonpaw.

Icestar looked at Badgerstreak for a quick moment, then continued to speak. "It's unlikely that we could speak to Spiderstar calmly, but..." The tomcat inhaled quietly. "We could at least take cats to learn why MumbleClan and CrescentClan are both acting like this. CrescentClan is the Clan to go to, as they seem to be the top Clan over MumbleClan... Though, the mission will not be as easy as eating a mouse. It will be very difficult, Coonpaw, and you will be in the group that will be heading to their territory."

Then, Featherbranch growled loudly, causing Duskspring to flinch. "Featherbranch, please, don't-"

"Icestar, are you seriously going to send cats there? Lives will only be lost! Does Branchjump's death mean nothing at all to you?" Featherbranch questioned, hackles raised. Icestar snarled at her.

"Keep your mouth shut, warrior," Icestar retorted, claws sliding out from their sockets, before he turned back to the other cats. "I will take the following cats to CrescentClan. I will take Lynxcry, Faunaheart, Blizzardpaw, Snowypath, Coonpaw and Flyskip. None of you, and I mean none of you will engage in combat unless if you absolutely have to!"

"The search patrol that will go to find Frozenpaw tomorrow morning will consist of Fawndash, Risingfire and Mudslip."

Then, he turned to Owlpaw and Coonpaw. Featherbranch opened her mouth again, but Duskspring put his tail over her mouth. "Be quiet." Blizzardpaw heard her father hiss softly to his mate.

Icestar dipped his head to Duskspring for a moment, but then proceeded to stare more at Coonpaw and Owlpaw.

"And you two, nine moons of age, but ready to become warriors... Coonpaw, oldest of the two brothers, step forward."

Coonpaw paused, yet was pushed forward a little by Owlpaw. "Come on." Blizzardpaw heard the tom murmur to his brother, trying to remain calm. Coonpaw nodded to the white, pale-flecked tom, then quietly trotted with him. He seemed to quiver a little, while Icestar kept speaking.

"Coonpaw, from this day onward, you will be named Coonfur," Icestar declared, lips curling into a very small smile. "StarClan honors your warmth and spirit, and FrigidClan welcomes you as a full warrior." He said, then looked at Owlpaw.

"And Owlpaw, as for you, you will be named Owlfall, from this day onward," Icestar began. "StarClan honors your loyalty and skill, and FrigidClan welcomes you as a full warrior of the Clan." He concluded, then turned his eyes to the crowd. "The meeting is dismissed."


	16. Chapter 15

"Please, be careful out there, dear." Duskspring muttered to Blizzardpaw, who slowly, very slowly and nervously, bit into meat of the mouse that her father had brought to she and Faunaheart that morning. She listened closely as he sorted herbs, all while testing her knowledge on the supply.

"What is thyme eaten for?" asked Faunaheart.

"Shock or anxiety." Blizzardpaw responded. She knew, having taken some thyme a few times before. It was mostly given to her by the golden tomcat.

Faunaheart nodded. "Very good," He praised quietly, eyes still scanning the storage. "Do you apply the cobwebs or the paste first?" He questioned again, then pulled out a beech leaf. He spread it out on the ground, revealing the marigold inside it.

"The cobwebs-"

"The paste," Faunaheart correctly quickly. "And how do you make mixtures, Blizzardpaw?"

"You chew the plants into a poultice together." Blizzardpaw replied.

Duskspring purred at Blizzardpaw, then looked over at Faunaheart. Amusement glinted in his pale eyes. "I take it that I won't have to stick around as a helping paw as much." He snorted. He then plopped down on his belly. "Also, I've seen you and Cherrystripe last night, Faunaheart." The tuxedo cat snickered at his brother, who froze completely within a heartbeat.

Faunaheart glanced at Blizzardpaw awkwardly. She only appeared baffled by what the two were talking about.

Faunaheart then hissed at Duskspring. "There is a six-moon-old cat the size of a leaf listening to us."

In response, Duskspring simply snickered more. Blizzardpaw, although still puzzled, decided to ignore the warrior, and gazed at her mentor. Faunaheart gently growled at her. He scooted away.

Icestar's head poked into the den. He then sluggishly ambled inside, lips pulled into a slight frown. He steadily gazed at Faunaheart. Then, he spoke gruffly to the medicine cat. "The patrol will be departing very soon," He informed. "Are you and Blizzardpaw prepared to go?"

Blizzardpaw nodded to Icestar. Then, she hopped to her feet and swiftly trotted outside, leaving the three tomcats alone. Once she left the den, she scanned the camp for anyone to chat with.

Her eyes fixed on Mudslip and Snowypath, who shared a robin, while Goosepelt sat huddled beside Mudslip, talking quietly to the two other warriors. Badgerstreak laid in the shade of a tree with Littleflower, conversing about something to do with patrols. Then, Blizzardpaw noticed Coonfur and Owlfall, leading Chestnutfire out of the elders' den. Foggystorm limped from behind.

Blizzardpaw bounced over to the toms with a purr. "What are you all doing?" She asked. Chestnutfire grunted at her, while Foggystorm affectionately brushed past the little cat, while hobbling over to Fawndash as the elderly tortoiseshell emerged from the warriors' den.

Coonfur blinked at her. "We're moving the elders out for a while, so Sharppaw can make a new nest." He answered.

"Fawndash will be moving to the elders' den in a couple of den. Icestar's orders." Owlfall added. Chestnutfire grunted again.

Blizzardpaw whimpered slightly. "Aw. But she'll miss being a warrior wouldn't she?" She felt a small pang of sympathy for the old cat.

"Yes, she will," said Coonfur. "But she needs this, Blizzardpaw. Her joints are growing stiff." He twitched his whiskers. Chestnutfire grunted yet again at the three.

"Can we go now?" Chestnutfire inquired. Owlfall glanced at the elder, and then turned Coonfur and Blizzardpaw.

"I'll take care of things here. You two should go gather at the entrance..." Owlfall then paused, green eyes glittering with anxiety. "Be careful on the patrol." He muttered, a hint of fear in his voice.

Coonfur touched his dark, pinkish nose to Owlfall's shoulder. "Don't worry! I'll see you soon, Owlfall. Goodbye!" He mewed. Then, he turned around to face Blizzardpaw. He signaled for the small cat to follow him with a nod and a smile.

Blizzardpaw went after the brown tabby. At the entrance, Icestar and Faunaheart were waiting. Upon reaching the two other cats, Coonfur seated himself beside his leader, who grumbled lowly. Blizzardpaw settled beside Faunaheart and listened.

"Lynxcry... Where are you?" Icestar groaned. Faunaheart sighed at the larger tom. Snowypath and Flyskip reached the group within seconds of hearing this.

"Lynxcry is with Boulderclaw." Snowypath huffed, rolling his greens eyes. The lanky tom sat down and began to groom his long, glossy fur.

Flyskip piped up from beside Snowypath. "Should I go get him?" The small, short-haired tom lifted his narrow face away from the ground and looked at Icestar. His dark amber eyes shined as Icestar nodded his head.

"Yes, collect him." Icestar replied. Then, Flyskip quickly took off from the gathering patrol.

In a few minutes, Flyskip returned with the bulky, battle-scarred tomcat, Lynxcry, then sat down with a very loud exhale. Lynxcry grumbled inaudibly to himself, glancing Flyskip and then Icestar.

Blizzardpaw flicked an ear at Lynxcry, then waited for Icestar's orders. The long-legged tom began to speak, flashing a look at Faunaheart, before gazing at every cat in the group. He began to talk to the other cats in his same rough-sounding tone.

"We will be heading to CrescentClan's borders, as mentioned last night. I would also like to remind everyone that combat will not be allowed except for self-defense if the CrescentClan warriors decide to fight," Icestar spoke. "We will also not be sneaking around to get into their camp without one of their patrols guiding us there, as that will most likely cause even more trouble, and we all know that there is enough on FrigidClan's shoulders at the moment."

Blizzardpaw nodded with Coonfur and Flyskip. Lynxcry and Snowypath got to their feet again, while Faunaheart glanced at the mottled warrior, before dipping his head to Icestar, his pale yellow eyes shining. Icestar rose, then turned away. He then beckoned the five other cats to follow him out of the camp.

The sun was up high in the bright, cerulean-hued sky. It was almost afternoon, and slightly cloudy. The air was also hot, causing pants to emit from the cats. Luckily, they had stopped for a drink at the stream- in which Blizzardpaw almost fell in several times when the cats traveled over stepping stones.

Blizzardpaw trotted between Faunaheart and Coonfur. There had been a single question that she wanted to ask her mentor, yet she kept forgetting to. She decided to wait a bit, until the FrigidClan cats reached the moorland where CrescentClan was located. She looked ahead at Icestar, who traveled beside Lynxcry. Flyskip and Snowypath were at the back of the group.

Up ahead, Blizzardpaw could see the large, treeless area where the Clan lived. As she was led up a knoll, she looked around. It was mostly just hills. A bunch of hills everywhere. She then glanced at Faunaheart, curiously. The tomcat had been quiet so far during the small journey.

The blue-tinted apprentice then turned her head as Icestar emitted a small growl, eyes narrowed as he stared into the distance of the moorland. Blizzardpaw exchanged glances with Coonfur, then was lightly tapped on the shoulder by Faunaheart. Blizzardpaw looked away from Coonfur to look ahead as well, while Flyskip and Snowypath caught up to the rest of the patrol.

The pace of Blizzardpaw's heartbeat quickened as she saw the CrescentClan border patrol just up ahead. It was led by a muscular black tomcat, whose fur was spiky and had white splashes, and the two cats beside him were a dark grey tabby tom and a light grey-and-white she-cat. Behind them were the two other cats in the patrol- a lean golden spotted she-cat and a smaller brown tom with faint tabby markings.

Blizzardpaw heard Snowypath growl quietly as the patrol approached hurriedly. Their pelts were bristled and they instantly seemed standoffish when the FrigidClan group had been spotted. Coonfur protectively took stance beside Blizzardpaw and Flyskip. The CrescentClan got closer, before halting. The black-and-white tomcat was face-to-face with Icestar, snarling loudly.

"What the damn hell do the seven of you want?" The tom interrogated, pupils narrowing into slits. He had obviously took notice of the amount of FrigidClan cats and seemed somewhat uneasy. Blizzardpaw felt a wave of confidence wash over her, before noticing one thing. All of the cats were bigger than her. This was a big mistake. She felt nervous, fur prickling.

Icestar took a step backward, tail drooped in an attempt to look as non-threatening as possible. Although, he held his head high and his ears were perked. "We've come to speak with Spiderstar. Let us pass, Spikeleap." He said, almost demandingly. Icestar only received a hiss from Spikeleap, before he turned to look at the grey-and-white, soft-furred she-cat and the dark grey apprentice.

"Stormpaw, Palenose, get to camp and get another patrol- be careful too." Spikeleap hissed. Palenose, the grey-and-white female, nodded before turned her head to Stormpaw. The two cats then hastily left for the CrescentClan camp.

Spikeleap then turned his head back to Icestar, before glancing at Snowypath, biting his tongue as he saw the white tomcat. Blizzardpaw paused as Snowypath took a step forward, his long, sharp claws sliding from their sheathes. He took several more steps, ready to attack Spikeleap.

"Snowypath, stand down!" Icestar hissed loudly, stepping in front of Snowypath, who let out a hostile hiss at his leader. Blizzardpaw felt a chill run down her spine as Coonfur also got closer to the tom. He sat beside his father, a concerned gleam in his green gaze.

"C-Calm..." Coonfur breathed, his ears flattened against his head. Snowypath's inhaling grew ragged as he continued to stare at Spikeleap, eyes narrowed. Icestar glanced at the warrior again, then turned to the CrescentClan warrior and his patrol.

"Leopardheart, Beechpelt," Spikeleap uttered to the two remaining cats. "Get ready to fight if anything happens." He ordered. Leopardheart and Beechpelt nodded, claws unsheathing. Blizzardpaw flinched at the three warriors. They knew they were outnumbered by seven cats to three, yet they were still willing to fight to defend both themselves and their territory, apparently.

It didn't take too long for the patrol that had been fetched by Palenose and Stormpaw to arrive. Palenose strolled over the hill with Stormpaw, behind the two cats were four others- a skinny tortoiseshell she-cat, a grey ticked-tabby tom, a black tomcat and a speckled, light dusty-brown she-cat.

Spikeleap turned his head to the group of cats. "Take these cats to camp," He commanded. "Palenose, Stormpaw, join them. Leopardheart, Beechpelt and I will continue the patrol to see if there are many more of those FrigidClan lowlifes in the area." The black-and-white tom finished, took another look at Snowypath, before signaling Beechpelt and Leopardheart to follow him and they soon vanished over another hill.

The speckled brown CrescentClan warrior snarled at the seven cats. "Come along, you all." said the she-cat, who was named Seedstep. Palenose and Stormpaw approached the cats from behind. Flyskip scooted closer to Coonfur, and Blizzardpaw, also feeling discomfort with being in front of the cats, also joined in with clinging to the brown tabby tom.

The black CrescentClan tom, Darksoar, shared a look of aggression toward the FrigidClan cats with Timberfall, the grey tabby tom, as they began to lead the way to the camp.

The CrescentClan camp was a natural dip surrounded by the treeless slopes. Burrows served as dens, and the camp was guarded with weak shrubbery that only stood as thin walls. The camp appeared to seem rather easy to attack to Blizzardpaw. These cats were truly mad if they decided to set their home in the location.

Blizzardpaw cringed as Icestar nearly slipped down one steep hill, while Beeflight, the tortoiseshell she-cat, growled at him. "Get down there and get talking!" She snapped, shoving the large tomcat down the hill, before Seedstep snarled at Flyskip. She then pushed the small black tom down after Icestar, then Faunaheart followed.

Blizzardpaw stiffened as she felt paws press against her side and she emitted a loud squeak when she was pushed by Timberfall. She rolled down the hill, barely catching herself before bumping into Faunaheart. She felt heat grow under her pelt as CrescentClan cats stared, and she looked up to take a good look around.

Blizzardpaw didn't recognize any of the cats, other than Hazelpaw, who sat outside what she assumed to be the medicine cat den with Tangleleaf. She stared at him, watching as a pale grey she-cat seated herself beside him. Blizzardpaw didn't notice when Coonfur began rolling clumsily down the hill.

Yelping loudly when the young warrior landed on her, Blizzardpaw rolled to the side, a sharp, quick pain hitting her leg. Coonfur whimpered softly, blinking at her. Fright flashed in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Coonfur questioned.

Blizzardpaw nodded, biting her tongue. "Y-Yes, I'm okay." She answered, while Faunaheart loomed over her, before leaning over to push Blizzardpaw back to her feet. She moved quickly when Lynxcry just properly ambled down the hill after getting pushed by both Seedstep and Darksoar.

Blizzardpaw looked up. The CrescentClan patrol walked down the hill, while the FrigidClan cats just stood there.

Icestar glanced at Faunaheart. "Will you be okay sitting out here with the others-" He paused, eyes widening as he looked away to stare at the small brown tabby tom, Spiderstar, who emerged slowly from his den, dark green eyes flashing immeadiately at the FrigidClan cats. The other leader stiffened, his short, thin fur bristling.

Blizzardpaw felt a wave of fear overwhelm her as Spiderstar inhaled deeply, before trotting over to Icestar and the rest of the group.

"So, it's you." Spiderstar murmured as he neared Icestar, lips pulled into a cold scowl.

Icestar stared steadily at Spiderstar, yet the smell of fear reeked from him. Blizzardpaw observed the two without a word, sitting beside Coonfur, who was also silent. She moved closer to Faunaheart.

"I would prefer to talk to you in private, Spiderstar." Icestar grumbled. Spiderstar looked at Coonfur.

"Who is this, first of all?" Spiderstar questioned, eyes brightening as he gazed at Coonfur. The brown tabby tom appeared to be a little fearful as he was stared at. Blizzardpaw swallowed hard as Icestar replied hastily.

"His name is Coonfur. Coonfur is a new warrior of FrigidClan." Icestar responded.

"What was he named for?" Spiderstar pressed on.

"His warmth and- Oh, my StarClan, are you really-"

Icestar was interrupted by Spiderstar. "Tell me." hissed the CrescentClan leader.

Icestar snarled quietly. "Warmth and spirit," He answered nervously. "May we speak alone in your den now, sir?" His tone was cautious and rather low. Blizzardpaw could barely hear him, and she looked at Coonfur, worried.

Spiderstar kept quiet for a good seven seconds. "I believe we can talk here in the open. You monster." He responded, voice crisp.

Blizzardpaw felt her heartbeat grow faster again, feeling her pawpads sweat a bit. She glanced at Faunaheart and Snowypath. The two toms were quiet, and seemingly a little troubled by Spiderstar's words. Coonfur backed away to Blizzardpaw's side, seating himself beside her and Lynxcry. Flyskip stepped backward a few steps.

Icestar growled. "Monster?" He seemed to be offended. His hackles rose.

Spiderstar's eyes flashed, crinkling his dark nose. "It isn't a secret, Icestar," He hissed. "Every single Clan cat knows what you've done."

_What is he saying? _Blizzardpaw asked herself.

"You're a murderer!" Spiderstar's tone suddenly rose. Blizzardpaw flinched when she saw the tom's claws unsheathe. They glinted in the pale light of day. Then, the dark tabby stiffened, his lean muscles rippling under his short pelt. He pulled his lips back as he snarled at Icestar.

Icestar seemed to stiffen. "Wait just a moment, Spiderstar, I-"

"You and every single one of your warriors _killed_ all of them!" Spiderstar accused vehemently, pelt bristled to make himself look bigger than he actually was. "You reek of greed, the lot of you!"

Blizzardpaw held her breath as she watched Spiderstar continue to shriek at Icestar. He didn't seem right in any way, and it appeared that he hadn't slept in so long that he seemed gnarled for his age. She glanced at Coonfur. The young warrior too looked bewildered, his green eyes glimmering with confusion. However, there was also a different emotion that wavered from him. Blizzardpaw could not describe it.

Spiderstar growled louder, rage clouding his pale green eyes."I can see it, Icestar, you will die soon enough! Y-You're on your final life!" He spat, lashing his bushy tail, back arched. He left no chance for Icestar to retort.

Pausing, Blizzardpaw inhaled deeply, her visage contorted into a frightened expression. _He'll die soon? _She then tried to shake the thought away. There was no way that Icestar would die any time soon. He couldn't be on his last life. Even if he was, Spiderstar _surely_ wouldn't know about it.

Seedstep pushed Blizzardpaw aside, standing in front of the FrigidClan cats. From behind Spiderstar, the apprentice heard another cat speak, voice somewhat quivering.

"Sir, what are we going to do?" asked the CrescentClan deputy, Fernheart, who was a very tall, lithe golden tabby tom. As he spoke, Ferretpool took a few tiny steps toward the patrol. Blizzardpaw no longer saw the she-cat's laid-back nature that she had at the Gathering weeks before this event. Instead, Ferretpool's amber eyes darkened. Stormpaw and the pale grey she-cat that was seated beside Hazelpaw followed, their pelts bushed out as well.

Then, Spiderstar's command rang in the air. "Wipe them out! All of them!"


End file.
